Traps the Steelers must avoid during the 2023 offseason

Steelers need to avoid their usual free-agency targets

The Steelers have shifted their free agency stance as their cap situation opened up. No longer did they just dumpster dive for veteran minimum contracts, but instead they would target a lot of these mid-range players on smaller deals. This allowed them to fill out their holes with potential starters, but it also yielded some lackluster starters and short stints with the team.

While the occasional bigger contract has surfaced, this team was far more focused on filling every hole so they could focus on just a few core players in the draft. Names like Levi Wallace and Ahkello Witherspoon last season were proof of this. Even Wallace, the far better of the two, still has left this team needing a cornerback this season. Adding players close to the minimum is fine, as it doesn’t alter the cap much, but these mid-level deals eat away any space quickly.

Instead, this team should target fewer free agents by making them higher-quality signings. Yes, that means there will be some holes on the roster, but this is a team that isn’t ready to compete. Fill that hole with a young player or rookie. That may not yield great results instantly, but it won’t hamper their cap space like all of these middle-of-the-road contracts do. In return, the free agents you add will have a higher likelihood of sticking around and being impact players for this team.

This offseason is a critical one for the Steelers. This roster has a slew of issues that need to be addressed. That said, the team needs to avoid falling for some of the traps that they have in the past, as it will be detrimental to the growth of this roster.