Pittsburgh is about to hit the busiest time of the offseason as free agency gets closer with each passing day. It will be intriguing to see how Omar Khan will differ in his approach when compared to his mentor, Kevin Colbert. One would imagine that he will carry over some of the same processes, but there could be different philosophies shoved into the fold.
Trying to figure out what the Steelers will do is a tough task to decipher. Plenty of opportunities will be present through free agency and the draft to get this roster better. It will be up to Khan and his staff to find creative ways to make sure that this club is better by the start of the pre-season then they are now.
Steelers will look at free agency to add a veteran receiver to this group
Wide receiver might not seem like the most pressing need, but this group could use some help. Steve Simms is not equipped to fill the role as a slot receiver like he did last season. There needs to be an accomplished veteran that should be sought after. Drafting a receiver might be a little too rich for the Steelers this offseason, but it's not completely impossible.
Signing a free agent to a short-term deal might be the best possible route to take when addressing this need. Pittsburgh could look at a couple free agents to join this club. Some of those names could include Robert Woods, Jarvis Landry, and Jamison Crowder. All three have a lot of experience in the slot at the NFL level and could be looking for a prove-it deal this offseason.
Steelers will look at the draft to try and solve their issues on the defensive line
Another focus this offseason has to be in the trenches for the Steelers on both sides of the ball. Looking to find a replacement for Stephon Tuitt has proved to be no easy task up to this point. Cam Heyward is still performing at a high level, but his teammates next to him needs to find some sort of stability moving forward. After all, Heyward cannot play forever, and father time is undefeated.
Addressing the defensive line concern at the draft seems like the likeliest scenario unless Larry Ogunjobi is re-signed. He was a solid contributor overall for the black and gold last year, but there could be other options to upgrade over Ogunjobi. Taking a player at the defensive tackle position in the draft might be the most possible scenario to play out.
This is a position that will get a lot of attention leading up to the draft for the Steelers. They will probably try and attack this need with one of their top four picks in the event. Some names that will entice them in this class include Keeanu Benton, Bryan Breese, Calijah Kancey, and Moro Ojomo. All of them bring massive athletic skillsets to their repertoire. This will be a top pick by the black and gold this spring.
Steelers will try to attack the linebacker position in free agency and the draft
Welcome to both category as the Steelers should address the issues at linebacker through free agency and the draft. Outside linebacker and inside linebacker have varying degrees of desperation when it comes to the Steelers adding players to it. Outside linebacker needs to add a solid depth option behind the starters, while inside linebacker needs a starter and depth at the position.
Outside linebacker will likely be addressed in free agency even though the draft has some quality prospects. Some interesting names that could be free agent targets could be Bud Dupree, Lorenzo Carter, and Justin Houston. Dupree is the only option that is currently under contract next season, but it seems more likely than not that the Tennessee Titans will release him to gain extra cap space this offseason.
Inside linebacker is one of the biggest needs from both a starting and depth standpoint on the roster currently. There are some poor options at the starting spots, so it seems like free agency and the draft could provide some additions for this team. Free agent targets could include some names like Tremaine Edmunds, Zach Cunningham, and Bobby Okereke. There are some interesting draft options, and they could consist of Trenton Simpson, Jack Campbell, and Noah Sewell.
Steelers will do their best to fix the offensive line in the draft
Perhaps free agency could be in play here again for a second year in a row, but that would likely only be from adding depth in the trenches. The Steelers spent a lot of money to sure up the right side of their offensive line around this time last year. It is unlikely that they will try to attempt the same approach this time around as they try and fix both left tackle and guard positions this offseason.
Pittsburgh will turn to the NFL draft to try and find solutions to the issues caused by their current starters. Kevin Dotson and Dan Moore Jr. are not going to solve the problems at their current roles on the club, and the team seems to finally recognize that. Neither have shown enough improvement since being drafted to cement themselves as the long-term option at their respective positions.
We turn to the draft now as there will be different prospects that could fill either of these needs in the first couple of rounds. One would have to imagine that the black and gold will either select a tackle or guard within the first two rounds of the upcoming event. They could even pick a player at both of those positions during that span. Some names to monitor between now and then are Broderick Jones, O'Cyrus Torrence, Darnell Wright, Dawand Jones, and Steve Avila.
Steelers will address cornerback iduring the early portion of the draft
Will Cam Sutton be re-signed by the Steelers or not? That is a huge question that still needs to be determined before free agency hits. It seems like both parties are interested in making a deal happen, but stranger signing failures have happened before. No matter if Sutton is brought back or not, cornerback is a big need for the Steelers this offseason.
Levi Wallace and Ahkello Witherspoon have not worked out to varying degrees since signing new deals last offseason. Pittsburgh needs to find a number one corner for this defense and their most inexpensive option will be adding a player through the draft. There are plenty of quality players available this spring and the black and gold have been showing a lot of interest to this point in the pre-draft process.
Adding a cornerback to the starting spot in the first three rounds seems like another conclusion made by most experts. There are a ton of quality corners in this upcoming draft class that the Steelers could target early on. Some interesting names could be Joey Porter Jr. Christian Gonzalez, Julius Brents, and Kelee Ringo. All are young and NFL-sized corners that should make a comfortable jump to the next level.