One major source of Pittsburgh Steelers drama was killed off when T.J. Watt signed his extension. With all eyes now officially on what happens in training camp, one major question still remains on the roster.
While some are speculating as to whether the Steelers will bring in another receiver, that issue seems less consequential to me. While I would still advocate for giving Gabe Davis a shot on the cheap, with Jonnu Smith in the fold, the need for another receiver is muted.
Instead, the aforementioned drama comes from the secondary, and it already seems like a bit of a cluster with no clear direction. As is common with questionable positions, rampant speculation has followed.
The Pittsburgh Steelers can’t make sense of their secondary right now
From top to bottom, this unit is filled with questions. It isn’t lacking talent, but no one is sure how that talent will see the field.
Let’s start with the biggest addition of the offseason in Jalen Ramsey. A talented cornerback, is he going to change his role to a hybrid player, covering slot, outside cornerback, and safety duties?
That seems like a tough role for any player to fill, especially one that you hope is the top dog in your secondary.
He joins fellow new face Darius Slay. Some initially thought that he would move to safety, but it appears as though he is locked into an outside cornerback role. With Joey Porter Jr. still here, getting all three on the field could be tricky.
I won’t argue that this cornerback room is lacking talent, but if they aren’t deployed properly, it won’t matter. Getting all three on the field will take some creativity, and I’m not sure that is a great place to be right now.
That also leaves some massive questions at safety. Juan Thornhill hasn’t been good in his two seasons with the Browns, and he enters camp as the presumed starter. That is, unless the Steelers sign a big name to replace him.
The question is, what big name would want to come here right now? With the presumption that Ramsey takes on a hybrid safety role at times, would you want to come in knowing that you likely aren’t the true top guy? That is a hard sell for any veteran.
The only stability in this room right now is DeShon Elliott. He played better than expected last season and was rewarded with a well-deserved deal this offseason. He is what he is, though, a good, strong safety that doesn’t offer much else.
So, what is the plan here, and can all of this talent pull off the game plan? Likewise, can the Steelers get another veteran to come in willing to be a part of this messy puzzle? We likely won’t know for a while.
While there will be better roster battles and names that I will be keyed in on more than the defensive backs, no positional group will have more questions answered than the secondary. Until then, this group easily has the most drama for the Steelers ahead of training camp.