3 players who could follow Arthur Smith to the Steelers
By Tommy Jaggi
It might not be the change that we were all hoping for, but Pittsburgh Steelers fans can expect some significant changes to the offense in 2024. Admittedly, Arthur Smith wasn't the most inspiring hire by to fill the void at OC, and this almost feels like a move to raise their floor rather than their ceiling. Still, there's little question that it will beat what this team had in Matt Canada and Randy Fichtner over the past six years.
With a new offensive coordinator in town, we can expect Arthur Smith to have some pull when it comes to the players he will be working with on offense in Pittsburgh. His wide zone and scheme feature much more heavy personnel and far fewer '11' personnel packages.
This means that he could be looking to add some players who fit what he wants to do: run the ball effectively out of the wide zone and utilize the play-action passing game. Here are three players who have worked with Arthur Smith in the past two could follow their former coach to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024.
Mycole Pruitt, Tight end
This addition isn't going to have anyone leaping off their coach for joy. MyCole Pruitt is an undersized tight end who can block on the move but still has the capability to play inline -- something he did for 334 snaps this past season.
Pruitt turns 32 years old during the 2024 offseason and he's not coming off his best year. Unlike his 2022 season, Pruitt struggled more as a blocker in 2023. However, this is a player that could be the highest on Arthur Smith's list of guys to go out and get.
In some form or fashion, Pruitt has been with Smith since 2018 with the Titans. Smith took over as Tennessee's OC in 2019, and Pruitt has pretty much been involved in his offense ever since. Pruitt even joined Smith in Atlanta for the past two seasons where he started 12 games at tight end.
The addition of MyCole Pruitt wouldn't add much to the passing game, but he's a versatile tight end/H-back who can lineup anywhere Arthur Smith needs on offense and has a decade of NFL experience as a blocker. Pruitt is now a free agent, and I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him added to the Steelers' roster in 2024.