The Steelers had one of their more eventful offseasons in recent memory, and here are the four most exciting moves that they made.
The offseason has become a point of contention for most Steelers fans, as the team was usually conservative with their resources and didn’t add a lot of new players besides the draft. 2022 was different though, as a combination of a surplus in cap space and a slew of needs allowed for this team to be more aggressive.
Not all of the results were great, but there is some reason to be excited based on the moves that have been made. Here are the four most exciting offseason moves that the Steelers made.
Steelers got younger
The Steelers were at a crossroads when it came to what to do in 2022. The retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, while expected, meant that the team would have to choose a direction to move in. While a complete rebuild wasn’t a necessity, the roster was devoid of a lot of talent and needed a revamp.
The team played this one well. Instead of retaining older talent, they allowed them to walk and tried to replace them with younger names who could be around for a few seasons. While the temptation to re-sign familiar names like Joe Haden and Trai Turner was likely great, the team stuck to their game plan and got younger.
Even a big name like Myles Jack could still, in theory, play for a long time before any regression sat in. While I am skeptical of his play given his past few years with the Jaguars, he has the chance to become a top name on this defense. The team prioritized youth while also improving the roster. That is how you find sustaining success in this league.
Steelers revamp the receiver room
To put it lightly, the Steelers passing game was stale over the past few seasons. The core of the unit remained consistent, but a declining Roethlisberger and a focus on short and quick passes made this unit predictable and eventually beatable. Three of the team’s top five weapons were free agents this offseason, and all three wound up signing with different teams.
While losing a player like JuJu Smith-Schuster isn’t easy, it was a needed move for a receiving core that is going to, hopefully, be opened up this year. The only free agent brought in was former Raven Miles Boykin, and he excels at winning deep. The draft was where the damage was done though, as the team found two potential stars in George Pickens and Calvin Austin.
Anyone that has followed my writing this offseason knows how high I am on Pickens. I truly believe he will be a top threat if he can focus on his craft. As for Austin, he is a different flavor of a receiver than what this team has had. Undersized but a twitchy athlete, Austin can eventually be used out of the slot in a variety of ways. He should counter the bigger, more down-the-field threats well. This group is very new, but they provide a lot of reasons to be excited about this offense in 2022.
Steelers invest in a top lineman
The offensive line was under a lot of scrutiny last season. After losing their core stable that had blocked for this team for the better part of a decade, little was done to find suitable replacements. The team made it clear that this offseason would be different, as they headed to free agency with linemen on the brain. In the end, they came out with two of them that will likely be starting in week one.
While most can overlook Mason Cole (he is far from an elite player or a big investment), the signing of James Daniels has to be praised. Sure, they paid a handsome price for the veteran from Chicago, but based on his four years in the league, that cost should be well worth it. He was constantly graded as the best lineman on the Bears and one of the better interior players in the league.
The best thing is that Daniels is still a player on the rise. He will just turn 25 this season. For a lineman, that could mean he has close to a decade of solid play left in him. As well, he should be reaching the prime of his career now and throughout this contract. The price paid was high, albeit a fair price, and the team should be hailed for this move. Sure, they could have invested more in this group, but landing Daniels was a big win for the Steelers.
Steelers find their quarterback
It was almost a foregone conclusion that the Steelers would need to find their next quarterback given the decline in Ben Roethlisberger’s play. His retirement sealed that deal though, as he left the team with a void at the most important position on the field. Mason Rudolph clearly wasn’t going to cut it. His previous play was mediocre, and the team showed very little faith in him.
It seemed like the team had at least found their short-term fix in Mitchell Trubisky. That was short-lived though, as Kenny Pickett became the team’s first-round pick in the draft. While I am not crazy about Pickett as a prospect, having a new quarterback to focus on is exciting. While I do believe his upside is capped, this is the first time that Roethlisberger won’t be the locked-in starter.
There is still a battle to be fought for the starting job at quarterback. While I believe Pickett will see the field sooner than later, even if he is serving as the backup the quarterback position will be one of the most interesting to focus on this year. The team made two significant investments in the position this offseason. Hopefully, at least one of them pays dividends this year.
It was one of the most eventful offseasons in Steelers history, as a surplus in cap space and a plethora of needs required action. While not all moves were perfect, the team can and should be praised for these four. They were easily the most exciting moves that the team made during the offseason.