With the majority of the Steelers offseason wrapped up, there have been a lot of big moves that have reshaped this team. As a whole, I am happy with what this team did, as I think there were a lot of savvy moves to better this team. While I am pleased with the team overall, there have been some moves that I think are vastly overrated.
From the fanbase overhyping a player to how some aspects of the team are being built, these moves are being overrated by the fanbase. No, that doesn’t mean these moves are inherently bad, but please stop over-valuing these four moves from the offseason.
Steelers fans are over-valuing Patrick Peterson
The Steelers lost Cameron Sutton early in free agency, and they were quick to add veteran Patrick Peterson as his replacement. While I’m not against Peterson as an addition, the role he is expected to play makes me nervous. There is no question that he was an elite player for a long time, but age is slowly catching up to him and his role might be too big this season.
For starters, Peterson may have a new role with the team. There is no clear slot cornerback, and the Steelers have hinted at trying to have Peterson play there. That is easier said than done, especially because Peterson has predominantly played outside in his career and would still be expected to do so in Pittsburgh.
Add in the fact that he is 33 years old, and I’m not confident that this deal ends up being great. I think Peterson can be a fine veteran for this defense, but I am expecting his play to continue to slip a little and I’m not sure how he works out in the slot. It wasn’t a horrible move, but fans seem too keen on the veteran Peterson maintaining a high level of play.