The Steelers just completed their 2022 organized team activities last week and some things stood out.
The Steelers organized team activities, otherwise known as OTAs, just wrapped up at their training facility. It was the first taste of the team going back onto the grass field in a new era for the franchise. You cannot read too much into the storylines coming out of these practices, but it starts to show some interesting tidbits.
There was some news coming out of the building while players reported to this event. Mostly everyone kept their eyes on the quarterback race to see where players lined up on the depth chart. Other situations happened as well and that brought some other interesting news to pop up.
This was the last time that fans would get daily news about the team as they left for their summer break. They will have until training camp before they are needed to practice with the club again. It will be the first year back in Latrobe in a couple of years.
Mason Rudolph will have a chance to start for the Steelers
Mason Rudolph was the only quarterback on this roster with any kind of starting experience at the very beginning of the offseason. Some thought that he would have a legit shot at the starting job for the Steelers but that faded as the offseason wore on. Most see him as the third-string guy that could become expendable if a trade would arise.
During these activities, Rudolph seemed to have a small jolt of confidence with coaches. He was getting second-team reps behind Mitch Trubisky and ahead of Kenny Pickett. It was a good performance by this fifth-year quarterback out of Oklahoma State during this past week, according to many beat writers that cover the team.
Isaiahh Loudermilk needs to have a big step forward in year two
Isaiahh Loudermilk showed up to organized team activities with a higher weight than he carried in his rookie season. The Steelers are expecting a lot from this second-year player after the recent retirement of Stephon Tuitt. This player might not be envisioned as “the guy” to replace Tuitt, but the expectation is he will play a big role.
This Wisconsin product was able to become one of the better run defenders in the defensive trenches for Pittsburgh in 2021. He was one of the bright spots in an otherwise more detrimental part of the team. With more weight and experience under his belt, he could become a player to lean on to help stop their woes on run defense.
It is going to be tough to replace Tuitt but there are different players in place that should be able to stop the bleeding. Tyson Alualu is a great run stuffer but his return from injury does bring question marks. Other players like Chris Wormley and DeMarvin Leal will also be brought into the fold in certain situations.
Most of the depth at the position has something that they are good at and struggle to round out their game. Loudermilk has a shot at becoming a full-time starter if he can continue his run defense ability and bring some pass rush skills aboard. He could have a breakout season as the team seems to really like what this player brings to the table.
Two stars are handling their contract concerns differently with the Steelers
Two stars for the Steelers are taking different approaches to their contract talks with the club. Diontae Johnson is seeking a new deal with many expecting him to get paid, either here or elsewhere, somewhere in the 20 million or more range per year. That is a steep raise for him, but he is a talented receiver that has shown steady growth since entering the NFL.
Minkah Fitzpatrick got a new deal with Pittsburgh, and a well-deserved raise. He is one of the top safeties in the game and he will earn that sentiment on his new deal. He is currently staying in shape and staging a hold-in like T.J. Watt did last year around this time.
He stayed in shape while waiting for his contract extension. While this is a huge expense for the Steelers, Minkah has been a huge upgrade for this franchise and will continue to help this secondary stay stable for many years.
Johnson is a different story as many cannot decide if it is a wise decision to give him a big money extension or not. He puts up some nice numbers and those do not lie, but there are some moments in his game that lead you to question signing him. He is still practicing with the club and maybe waiting to reevaluate after the season’s conclusion might be the best form of attack.
Mitch Trubisky will be the opening day starter
Mitch Trubisky was the talk of the town before the club drafted Kenny Pickett just a handful of weeks later. He is a veteran guy that has a wealth of starting experience which is paired with a pedigree of being a former top five pick in his draft year. His career has begun to fall off since the day of being selected by the Chicago Bears.
He has shown some flashes of that potential that many spoke of when he was coming out of college. This is still a young quarterback that could develop a little more before he is tapped out. It will not be much in terms of improvement, but the Steelers seem to like what they have seen from him thus far.
The franchise did take Pickett with their first-round pick in 2022 and that takes away some confidence in this veteran. It is a business and competition will only make a team better. They will continue to challenge each other, including Mason Rudolph, for the starting spot throughout the season.
Trubisky has been getting all of the snaps with the first team throughout OTAs. It is still early and training camp has not even started yet but there is a sense that this veteran will get a chance to resurrect his starting career with Pittsburgh. He will need to earn the starting job every week with Pickett and company vying for his spot.
The Steelers need to add more depth at a couple of positions before the season
One thing that seems obvious is that the Steelers still need to add some more quality players to this roster. Normally those types of guys are not sitting at home waiting for a call still, but there are some free agents out there. They are looking for an opportunity to play and this would be a great spot for some positions.
Running back is one of those positions that should be high up on the to-do list for the black and gold. Signing a veteran free agent still out on the market that can give Najee Harris some breaks should be brought in before training camp commences. It does not have to be a player that will start for your team, but someone that is reliable and can run effectively and catch some passes out of the backfield.
A couple of other positions of need should be a focus as well heading into the year. Edge rusher is very thin at depth and could use an addition there. Another spot would be bringing in a cornerback or someone on the offensive line. All these areas have weaknesses and question marks.
The club should be monitoring the free agent and trade markets to see what is out there. They have a good chunk of spending money to give if they choose to use it. Some of these free agents could be signed for cheap, so this should happen before training camp starts.
The Steelers have done a nice job of showing some of their cards before the beginning of training camp. There have been some storylines to monitor as we get closer to the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.