The Steelers are in the thick of the offseason right now, and speculation is running rampant as to what the team should do. Who will they draft in April? What free agents are locked to join the team? Could a quarterback be brought in via a trade? Hot takes are running wild in Pittsburgh right now.
With the speculation season in full force, I wanted to take the time to share my five hot takes for the team in the offseason. These are things that aren’t among the traditional ideas most Steelers fans are expecting for 2024, but I think the team can, and should attack the offseason in this manner. Here are my five hot takes on how the Steelers handle this offseason.
Steelers should give Jaylen Warren a new deal
The running back talk this offseason is naturally focused on Najee Harris. The former first-round pick is coming off his most efficient season, and down the stretch, he served as a workhorse for this team. His fifth-year option is available, and there is valid talk of the team outright extending him.
I am in the opposite camp. Sure, give him his fifth-year option, but giving Harris an extension seems unwise. He will want top-level money, and while that doesn’t break the bank for a running back, it has a bad history of backfiring on teams. Add in the workload Harris has handled through college and the pros as well as his age and regression will likely come sooner than later.
The running back this team needs to extend is Jaylen Warren. I’ve outlined this before in a separate post, but there is a lot of sense in inking Warren to a new deal now. While he has one season left on his undrafted rookie contract before becoming a restricted free agent, that gives the team a lot of leverage. The second round restricted tender isn’t that cheap either (this year it is projected at nearly 4.7 million dollars).
Running backs are also injured, and one bad hit could lead to a James Robinson situation, who was derailed after an amazing start to his career. Warren knows he has little leverage, so he could settle for a reasonable deal, lock in some good money now, and hope to keep his value up through the extension.
Four to five million a year over two to three years is my target. This gives the team at least one of their top backs over the next few seasons, so if Harris walks, you still have a good player in the room. You have all of the leverage with Warren, so it makes sense to capitalize this offseason.
Steelers need to blow up the defensive line room
The Steelers took a unique approach last offseason with one of their biggest positional weakness. The linebacker room had been an utter train wreck across the board. The starters were ineffective and the backups were lackluster. Pittsburgh opted to overhaul the room completely, as they only brought back one name from the 2022 season, that being Mark Robinson.
Free agency was dedicated to improving this room. They brought in Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts on multi-year deals while filling out the depth chart with Kwon Alexander and Tanner Muse. This team sought new faces wherever they could, and it paid off. While Muse was ultimately cut, this unit was a strength of the team until injuries piled up.
The team needs to take a similar strategy with the defensive line room this offseason. This would involve parting ways with Larry Ogunjobi for starters. He has yet to recapture his elite form from a few years ago, and his cap space would be better spent elsewhere. The depth in the room can also be overhauled, as options like DeMarvin Leal and Isaiahh Loudermilk were mediocre.
This upcoming draft class is filled with smaller, penetrating linemen, a body type that doesn’t fit the Steelers scheme well. Instead, they should attack the defensive line room like they did the linebacker room a year ago. Bring in a starter to replace Ogunjobi and fill out the depth chart with as much veteran depth as you can.
This accomplishes two things. One, the defensive line should have a similar turnaround to the linebacker room if the right players are brought in. Secondly, defensive line is suddenly not a draft need. This allows you to address other positions and build a stronger team overall. There is no guarantee that the Steelers continue to attack positions like they did linebacker, but I am all for them having the same strategy with the defensive line.
Steelers need to prioritize tackle over center
When looking over the Steelers needs this offseason, there is arguably no bigger need on the team than center. Mason Cole had seemed like the answer for this team a year ago, at least in the short term. His play regressed last year, and now he seems poised to be a cap casualty.
On the flip side of things, Dan Moore will be back with the team this season. While he has been an extremely streaky player, he is still cheap on his rookie deal. Yes, you can want an upgrade, but having him makes center the bigger hole.
My concern is that tackle is the more expensive position to fix. Take a look at the middling tackles in the league like Chukwuma Okorafor. He was getting paid more than the likes of James Daniels and Isaac Seumalo. The free agent tackle class is filled with these average names, and all of them are likely to get overpaid.
On the flip side of things, there are a slew of center options that should be affordable. While Connor Williams will land a big contract, names like Lloyd Cushingberry or Tyler Biadasz would be upgrades on a budget.
Even more pertinent is the draft class. The tackle class is one of the best in years, so using your top pick in back-to-back seasons makes sense. Even if there is a capable body in Moore there, take advantage of the talent in this class and try to find an elite tackle to pair with Broderick Jones.
This doesn’t mean you can’t draft a center. I’ve said for a while now that your second-round pick seems like the best time to land a center for this team. Even if that means you miss out on the best center prospect in this class, if it means you land another top tackle prospect, it is worth it.
The Steelers should go light at quarterback
I have been one of the bigger critics of Kenny Pickett since he was drafted. I didn’t see the elite talent you want in a franchise quarterback, and given his age and lack of dynamic traits, he seemed like an underwhelming option. Unfortunately, he has been even worse than I thought he was as a prospect so far.
The quarterback speculation is running rampant this offseason. From moving forward with Mason Rudolph as the guy to landing a big name via trade or free agency or investing your first-round pick in another passer, fans seem desperate for something better at the position.
My issue is that none of these proposed solutions are really long-term answers. Rudolph, despite his good play, isn’t a real franchise quarterback and is best served as a transitional guy or top backup. The draft is your best route to land a guy, but unless you are trading the farm (and thus sacrificing the talent around the rookie quarterback), you are getting a similar type of prospect that Pickett was.
As for trading for a guy, I know the Rooney’s hinted at the possibility, but that seems like a bad choice. The most logical name is Justin Fields, and while he has shown some elite traits, he has also been an inconsistent player. Add in his contract situation and unless you are getting him for a low draft pick, it is hard to justify making that trade. Even if you did, Fields is no lock to be a dynamic player.
Instead, what this team needs to do is provide Pickett with some competition and see what happens. Don’t go crazy and use your resources to improve the line and fill holes on the defense. That will better prepare this team to develop a successful franchise quarterback in the next year or two.
That name could be Rudolph given his feel-good story from this season. It could also be a lower-end veteran like Ryan Tannehill given his connections with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Pickett and said veteran would compete in camp and the winner gets to start.
No, this won’t lead to a lot of success more than likely. Instead, it gives Pickett one last shot to prove his worth, and if he doesn’t, you should be in a better spot to land a quarterback in 2025. Going all in on a quarterback this year really hampers the needs elsewhere, and I just don’t think it makes a lot of sense right now.
Steelers can ignore outside cornerback
Another one of the big needs for this team on paper is another outside cornerback to pair with Joey Porter for the future. While I will agree that Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace left a lot to be desired, I’m not ready to dump a lot of resources into the position this offseason with so many needs elsewhere.
For starters, I think a stronger front seven can alleviate some middling cornerback play. The edge rushers should remain a strength, the linebackers should get healthy, and if the defensive line is properly addressed, they should be improved. This will lessen the need of another dynamic cornerback next to Porter.
You are also carrying two intriguing names on the roster as it stands. Cory Trice was having a strong start to training camp before being lost to the year with an injury. Darius Rush showed some promise in limited snaps. Either could settle in as the second cornerback for this defense.
My bigger priority is a more complete slot defender. This defense was at its best when Mike Hilton was able to play the run or pass for the defense. Now, they have specific run-down and passing-down slot defenders, and it has limited the unit overall. I want a guy that can thrive in both circumstances.
That doesn’t mean you can’t address outside cornerback. You still need to, as the depth chart is pretty bare and depth is needed. The draft is also deep at cornerback again, and I am all for taking advantage of the strengths of a draft class. That said, I’m not pounding the table for a pricy free agent or a top draft pick at cornerback for the reasons above.