The Steelers will have some players benefit from their offseason moves over others.
The Steelers had one of their most active offseasons in franchise history. It saw many new faces enter the building in key roles for this upcoming team of 2022. Different moves during that phase of football mean that it will affect players across the roster differently.
Different positions were focused on during free agency when compared to the draft portion of the season. The extra spending cash available allowed Pittsburgh to get involved in different contract negotiations unlike ever before. It led to many players joining the black and gold with the hope of keeping their careers moving forward in a positive light.
Some players that did not make the cut for this list should still be under consideration. Myles Jack should have an interesting year with better teammates surrounding him. Ahkello Witherspoon could have a monster year if he can produce at last season’s rate in a full-time role.
Mason Cole should be a beneficiary of the Steelers offseason moves
Mason Cole could have a breakout performance at the starting center spot for this club. He was brought over after finding some brief starting work and adding experience to his resume at multiple positions since entering the league. He will have a chance to be an anchor for this newly assembled offensive line for the Steelers.
James Daniels and a healthy Kevin Dotson should make for a solid duo at the guard positions. That stability should also help Cole push his game into a better stratosphere with Pittsburgh. The tackles are not as important when it comes to supporting the center spot, but those two should hold their own.
Terrell Edmunds should be able to cash in this time around
Terrell Edmunds was a player that many thought was entering his final season with the Steelers around this time last year. He played out his rookie contract after the club denied him his fifth-year option. He has played well over the last couple of campaigns with the team and seemed to be primed to get paid nicely.
Free agency started to roll around and many “experts” believed that he would get paid handsomely on a lengthy contract. It made sense with the kind of quality play that he has shown without many at his position being on the open market. Time was the enemy in his case and that led to a long negotiation process.
Eventually, he had enough waiting and chose to return to the Steelers on a one-year contract that will require him to prove himself again. He returns to a secondary that has a lot of question marks littered through it. He and Minkah Fitzpatrick will bring some stability as they are one of the best duos in the NFL.
The two starting cornerbacks seem like they should be able to handle their own. Ahkello Witherspoon and Levi Wallace both have starting experience, but it does seem like there is an X-factor missing. As long as each player in the secondary pans out, this should help Edmunds odds for free agency in 2023.
Najee Harris should benefit from the Steelers new offensive line
Najee Harris is a star player for the Steelers on offense and he will be relied on more in year two. Ben Roethlisberger is now gone, and the coaching staff has hope for their star running back to be a leader in the locker room. Everything that this player has displayed up to this point seems to show that he will be able to handle that task from the coaches.
The rushing attack for the black and gold last year was atrocious in almost every sense. The light that was displayed in that darkness was Harris and his ability to turn nothing into something. That ability got him elected to his first Pro Bowl for his acts of effort during his rookie campaign.
The focus on the offensive line was one of the main things the club wanted to accomplish in the offseason. They did that in free agency by upgrading at right guard and center. They invested money in three of their starting spots in the offensive trenches. That should be music to Harris’s ears.
He will now have more proven and reliable talent to block in front of him. It should be an easier time for this young player to find holes and make some plays for this offense. Getting stronger up front was a need, and it should be improved now after those recent additions.
Cam Heyward should benefit from the defensive line shakeup
Cam Heyward is now the sole leader for the Steelers heading into the 2022 season. He has been one of the best leaders that this franchise has ever seen, and they have witnessed many greats with that same quality. The days of him and Stephon Tuitt are gone, but there are new things on the horizon for this player.
He is still one of the best players on this defense, which is filled with star talent. The opposite spot of him on the defensive line has been a concern dating back to last season. That should not be as much of an issue as fans saw in 2021.
Tyson Alualu is back, and some key additions should also help Heyward’s cause. Larry Ogunjobi, Chris Wormley, Isaiahh Loudermilk with some extra seasoning, and DeMarvin Leal should help figure out that spot more. It does not seem like one player will fill in that void immediately, but the hope is that a committee approach will suffice until someone emerges.
Getting stronger on the opposite side of this star defensive player is something that the Steelers needed to accomplish. It seems like they did that with a variety of players that can fill in. This should lead to another big year by Heyward.
The Steelers have been able to bring in a lot of new faces onto the roster. Those new players should help benefit the outcomes for other individuals on the club.