ESPN breaks down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ ‘above average’ offseason

The offseason of 2018 for the Pittsburgh Steelers will be highly regarded as forgettable for most fans of the black-and-gold. The ultimate dismembering of the once powerful ‘Killer B’s’ was on public display, and resulted in blemishes which are tough to forget.

However, when it comes to encapsulating the entire offseason, there was much more that went on other than Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell finding their way to new teams in very different circumstances.

Not only did the Steelers get rid of two headaches which had plagued them longer than just last year, but they also made some moves. They added CB Steven Nelson from the Chiefs, LB/S Mark Barron from the Rams and WR Donte Moncrief of the Jaguars. On top of that, they added nine new players via the 2019 NFL Draft.

So what should fans make of the offseason as a whole? ESPN recently ranked all 32 NFL teams as it pertains to their offseason. They followed a formula which labeled each team in one of the following categories:

• Elite
• Above Average
• Average
• Too Soon To Tell

Luckily for Steelers fans, the Steelers’ offeseason fell under the ‘Above Average’ category. Take a look at what beat writer Jeremy Fowler had to say about the team’s crazy offseason:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Offseason goals: Cleanse the locker room of headaches, identify supporting players on the edges (receiver, cornerback) and solve the inside linebacker problem once and for all. Receiver Antonio Brown had to go, and now the locker room can focus on cohesion. Receiver Donte Moncrief and cornerback Steven Nelson are reliable free-agent additions at reasonable costs. Trading up for linebacker Devin Bush could give Pittsburgh a defensive leader for the next decade.

Biggest question still to be answered: How do the Steelers replace two All-Pros in Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell? This question dominated Pittsburgh’s offseason, and the answer is found under center. Ben Roethlisberger said he’s excited about his batch of weapons, but the onus is on Big Ben to make it work without two players who dominated the ball. The Steelers need him to have one of his best seasons -- maybe an MVP-type performance -- to re-enter the playoff race. -- Jeremy Fowler

With the dust on the Steelers’ offseason settled, the team turns their attention to the 2019 season. Finally able to put the past behind them, what are your feelings about the Steelers’ offseason? Would you agree it could be labeled as ‘Above Average’, or would you put them in an entirely different category?

Let us know by heading to the comment section and making your opinions heard! And be sure to stay tuned to BTSC throughout the offseason for the best Pittsburgh Steelers news on the web.