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.
Both Herbig brothers have some questions with Steelers
The Steelers added another set of brothers this offseason, signing veteran lineman Nate Herbig in free agency and drafting his brother Nick Herbig in the fourth round. While both should be decent reserves, both moves have left me with some questions.
Nate seems like the clearer path right now, as he will come in as a reserve lineman and be the interior swing man. I’m fine with that depth, but he signed a respectable contract to be that. Initially, it looked like he would battle with Kevin Dotson for the starting role. That quickly changed with the signing of Isaac Seumalo.
While he will be great depth, he is also expensive depth. I was more ok with that when he was in line to potentially start, but for now, he seems like just a backup. His brother Nick is a different story.
He was an edge rusher in college and was productive in that role at Wisconsin. The issue is his size, and he lacks the bulk and length that a typical edge rusher has. While I think he could carve out a successful role as an off-ball linebacker, it seems like the team is content to use him as a hybrid player.
He is the weakest pick of an admirably strong class, and while I foresee him being a good special teams player, I’m not confident in his ability to develop into a capable defender. Again, neither player will be horrible, but I think Steelers fans are overvaluing both additions, as both Herbig questions have some questions to answer.
Did Steelers upgrade with Cole Holcomb
What is becoming an unfortunate trend for the Steelers, they are once again reimagining the linebacker room. The combination of Devin Bush and Myles Jack was abysmal last year, keeping up the yearly tradition of signing a mid-tier free agent to revamp this room.
Cole Holcomb is the newest face, and while he has some good tape, I’m not overly thrilled with this signing. Holcomb has been a fine run-defending linebacker with good athleticism, and while he isn’t horrible in coverage, he isn’t elite there either. The Steelers seem content on using him in that role though, and they are paying him with that expectation.
While his contract is a little higher than I thought it should be and he is a mixed bag as a player, my real complaint is that the linebacker room was depressed this offseason. Top names earned in line with what Holcomb got, and they are clearly better players with fewer question marks.
My main target would have been T.J. Edwards, as he has proven to be a better player with better health over his time with the Eagles. He was viewed as one of the top linebackers in the offseason by only signed for about 500 thousand more dollars a season than Holcomb.
I have little doubt that Holcomb will provide a more stable presence for this defense. Frankly, it would be harder to be worse. The issue is that I’m not confident it will be enough, and there were better players available at similar price ranges. This team should have been more aggressive in landing a true upgrade as opposed to settling for Holcomb.
The Steelers offense is being overrated
I’m lumping this group in as a whole, as the Steelers offensive line is being vastly overrated by the fanbase. The team made their intentions clear this offseason: they want to be a run-heavy offense, a trend counter to most of the elite teams in the NFL.
On paper, this makes sense, as defenses are getting smaller and smaller to accommodate elite passing attacks, so going heavier could allow this offense to play ball control. I can see how that could work and keep this team competitive in a lot of games as well as even a playoff team.
The build was good as well, focusing on improving the trenches with some line improvements while also filling out the tight end room. While I question the focus, I am happy they are at least building this offense the right way if they want to build a physical, run-focused team.
My issue is that, on paper, this offense can work, but I struggle to see it being a true top offense in the league. Are we playing to win enough games and limp into the playoffs, or should we be playing to actually compete for a Super Bowl? This seems like a safe choice, but one I don’t foresee yielding amazing results.
This also seems like a way to hide the flaws of Kenny Pickett. Steelers fans are way too high on the second-year quarterback, and this team wants to give him a limited offense as opposed to building one that he could thrive with. I’ve said that the ceiling is relatively low on Pickett, and the focus on building an offense not centered on him and the passing game is further proof.
Finally, Matt Canada has proven to be an inefficient play caller, yet the team retained him. Even if the offense is simplified, I’m skeptical that he can call a proficient game that keeps the team competitive every week.
In theory, I like having a throwback offense centered on the ground game, but I’m doubtful that this team will be able to keep up. Even if everything goes well, I can’t see Pittsburgh being a true contender in the league. Fans are so excited for throwback football, but I feel like it doesn’t truly make this team a top unit and is being vastly overrated by the fanbase.
The Steelers have been aggressive this offseason in adding to this roster, and while I like a lot of the moves that have been made, I believe some fans are vastly overrating some of the changes that have been made. This team has gotten better, but we need to take off our rose-tinted glasses with some of these moves.