The Steelers had a busy offseason with some significant wins as they head into training camp.
It is a new era for the Steelers as they look to keep their competitive streak going while things go in a new direction. It was a complicated offseason that saw many new additions enter the fold. The team was very active as Kevin Colbert called it a career in the front office for Pittsburgh.
Free agency is normally a time when the black and gold try to sit around and sign a few bargain deals. This year was different as the club had a lot of money to spend and too many holes to fill through the draft. They brought in some players outside of the organization with the hope of keeping this club in the playoffs.
The draft was something different for the Steelers as they were one of the teams that was hunting for a quarterback. The event saw them address many of the holes that they were not able to add through free agency. It was an active and interesting offseason, and the Steelers were finally able to give the fans some excitement this time around.
The Steelers filled starting spots with youth for cheap
At the start of free agency, there were at least eight starting spots open on this roster. They were able to fill most of those needs with some of their spending cash. The Steelers brought players in on short-term deals that did not break the bank.
Players like Ahkello Witherspoon and Levi Wallace signed with the club during free agency. Both joined the Steelers on identical two-year contracts at a cheap rate of $8 million, which is very cheap for starting cornerbacks in the NFL. Colbert and his front office made some nifty moves that would not affect the franchise long-term.
Steelers added quantity to a quarterback room that needed it
Heading into the offseason, the Steelers only had Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins under contract. Sadly, Haskins unexpectantly passed away and that put the need for the position even higher. Rudolph was being hyped as the probable number one quarterback heading into the next season, but that turned out to not be the case.
Pittsburgh decided to roll with the idea of having a quantitative approach to the position. It has been 18 years since they needed to find a legit starter for the franchise so bringing in numbers might have been the best bet. They decided to add two quarterbacks, one through free agency and the other through the draft.
Mitch Trubisky signed on with the hope of being the starter for this offense. He wants to prove himself in this league after being labeled a bust for many seasons with the Chicago Bears. It still seems like he will be the starter for the Steelers, at least for the beginning of the year.
The draft was hyped up with many names surrounding the franchise as who could go to the black and gold in round one. Most were certain that they would go quarterback and they did that by selecting Kenny Pickett. They added some quality players at the position with two players that could start each week.
The Steelers replenished their weapons on offense
This offseason represented a change in one of their strongest positional groups over the last several years. The receiving group was one that had a lot of talent and depth until this past off-season. Three starters that played different starting roles on the Steelers offense departed the club via free agency.
JuJu Smith-Schuster got hurt early on and was lost for the season before recently signing with the Kansas City Chiefs. Other players that were expected to fill his shoes in different capacities left as well. Ray-Ray McCloud and James Washington also signed elsewhere. All those spots left a giant vacancy both at a starting spot and in terms of depth.
The Steelers have become one of the best teams at evaluating receivers in the draft. Many thought they would add in free agency as well, but they trusted their process. Pittsburgh was able to add two talented receivers that could bring different elements to this offense. George Pickens and Calvin Austin III were selected during the earlier half of the event.
Getting younger and finding playmakers was high on the to-do list for this franchise. The black and gold were able to accomplish that during the draft. They will enter 2022 with new players at the position but some quality depth behind their starters as well.
The Steelers invested money into the offensive line
If you asked most Steelers fans about one of the main issues with the team last year, they would have likely brought up the offensive line. It was a thrown-together group that struggled a lot as they tried to congeal. It was a young culmination of players that just did not have a lot to work with.
That led to a lot of issues throughout the season, especially when it came to the run blocking. The offensive trenches ranked as one of the worst units to block in the rushing department. Somehow their running back still overcame the odds and got into the Pro Bowl.
Knowing the issues involved with the Steelers up front, it was no shocker that they wanted to find different ways of fixing it. They took a stab at addressing the issues in free agency when that portion of the offseason began. They added two quality guys to help stabilize the interior of the group.
James Daniels should be able to fix the issues at right guard while Mason Cole will be a reliable starter at center. Bringing in two veteran guys that will be upgrades over their predecessors should help elevate this unit more. This offensive line might still not be the best, but it should be much better than it was last year.
The Steelers seem to have won some portions of the offseason. They hope that these moves will pay off and lead to a successful 2022 season.