5 offseason moves that will remind Steelers fans that Omar Khan is a genius

Steelers will overload positions in free agency

One of the biggest things I’m hoping to see from Khan is a free-agency strategy that he implemented last year. For the longest time, Colbert’s free agency strategy was to acquire a few middling names to fill immediate holes and build through the draft. That was fine when this team was drafting well, but it wasn’t working as well later in his run.

Khan took this a step further last season. He identified the positions of weakness on the team and aggressively built out the room. The main example was linebacker, as the position lacked a clear starter. Khan signed four notable names in free agency, three of which became starters until injuries derailed the position.

Safety was built in a similar manner. While Damontae Kazee was a re-signing, he also added another veteran starting option in Keanu Neal. This tandem was successful when both were healthy. Guard was the same thing, adding a key starter in Isaac Seumalo and a versatile backup in Nate Herbig.

What was even more notable was that these positions were weaker ones in the draft. Instead of reaching for a draftable talent, Khan added as many names as he could to these rooms so they wouldn’t have to reach for rookies.

I expect the same thing to happen this year. I have the defensive line circled as a potential option, especially if Larry Ogunjobi is released. The draft doesn’t have a lot of premiere talent there this year, so Khan could add a few names to a position that has struggled in hopes of a quick turnaround. This worked well last year and I am excited to see this strategy unfold once again.

Khan has already built out a strong resume for the Steelers as their general manager, and I am excited to see what he does this offseason. These five moves in particular would strengthen his impact and remind us of just how good he has been.