Steelers make some controversial decisions in latest 2024 mock offseason

This mock offseason opens free agency with nearly 41 million to spend

Steelers made re-signing Rudolph a priority, but they were not successful. He hits free agency and signs elsewhere. They were able to re-sign Miles Boykin for another year at a cheap rate. He is a quality special teams' player and someone the Steelers could use on their third unit of football. He is a good veteran to keep around the locker room.

The offensive line is something Arthur Smith is going to need to have for his offense to succeed. With Herbig and Okorafor gone, Pittsburgh needs a potential starter at center and right tackle plus depth at both spots. Smith gets a guy that he is familiar with from Atlanta, Matt Hennessy. He has played both guard and center and would be a nice depth veteran piece on the cheap. Josh Jones signs a two-year deal to jump into the starting right tackle spot competition.

Noah Brown also gets a decent contract from Pittsburgh to be a reliable veteran slot receiver. He signs a two-year deal that takes pressure off of the Steelers to add a slot receiver in the draft. He doesn't have as much production as you'd like, but at a cheap price and a short deal, it makes sense to sign Brown. He is an immediate upgrade over Robinson for much cheaper.

Big move here, maybe not as big as many fans would hope for, but the Steelers go out and get a proven starter in the NFL by signing Gardner Minshew. He does end up costing the Steelers more money than what Rudolph signed for, but he wanted to move on to a new club. Minshew is someone who can give Kenny Pickett legit competition for the starting quarterback spot but also be in the backup role if needed.