With the Steelers training camp just around the corner, here are five key storylines that you need to be following this year.
Training camp is almost here which means a return to professional football is imminent. The Steelers should have one of the more exciting training camps around given the number of new faces who will be participating. This will lead to a litany of big stories that will have to be followed along with during camp.
Here are the five hottest Steelers training camp stories to watch for this year.
Steelers storyline #5
The Steelers had a slew of issues on the roster last season on both sides of the ball. That said, most would acknowledge that a lackluster offense was the primary culprit of a lot of this team’s issues. Low-scoring affairs were common, and if the defense didn’t play at an elite level, this team more often than not struggled.
As of this writing, the Steelers have financially addressed the defense far more than they have the offense. While a new deal for Minkah Fitzpatrick was seemingly a lock, significant resources were also handed out to a couple of free agents. Add in T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward’s massive deals and you have a very expensive, albeit talented, defense.
This isn’t to say that the heavy-handed spending on defense is a bad thing. Considering the majority of the Steelers offense is still playing on rookie deals, this is logical. That said, with an offense that struggled so much last year and the fact that there are still some major questions here this season, the defense will have to step up.
On paper, this unit should be close to elite. There is talent at all three levels and there are some returning faces from last season who already know the system. This team is set to rely heavily on the defense though. It will be key for this unit to gel early on during training camp.