The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering what may prove to be one of the most critical offseasons in recent history. Here’s what they cannot afford to do.
Now that the regular season is in the Steelers rearview and the offseason is on the horizon, I think it’s an opportune moment to discuss the critical nature of the offseason and discuss the mistakes we simply cannot afford to make.
I use the term critical for various reasons, but suffice it to say that with several rookies entering year two, with several players entering free agency, and with Matt Canada somehow entering year three as the offensive coordinator, we really cannot mess up the offseason. Let’s talk about the first mistake the Steelers cannot make.
3. Steelers must avoid drafting for need in the 2023 draft
There is a fine line between need and want. We enter the 2023 offseason with both needs and wants. According to Spotrac, we will have twenty-two players who will either be unrestricted or restricted free agents. That’s more than a few and probably more that we would realistically want to or be able to re-sign.
Depending on who we choose to or are able to re-sign, we will invariably be in a position where we have to fill the void, so to speak, through the draft. Frankly, for decades it was the other way around where we drafted well and filled the void in free agency.
The one thing we cannot afford to do is draft solely for need. Generally speaking, drafting for need versus drafting the best player available when your turn comes around spells disaster. I think it’s fair to say that with the draft capital we currently have entering the 2023 draft, we are in a prime position to bolster the roster at positions of need by drafting the best player available.
Here’s what I mean by that: We need a lockdown CB, an ILB, both an O-lineman, or linemen, a D-lineman, or linemen, potentially a safety, etc. The point is we need a lot, but we cannot afford to reach for any of the aforementioned positions. If we play our cards right, we can draft quality players without doing anything ‘crazy’, e.g., mortgaging the future to move up in the draft to select a player who may not see a second contract.
Let’s talk about the second mistake we cannot afford to make.