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Heading into the 2020 offseasonthe Pittsburgh Steelers are tight against the cap, but a few roster moves could open up the possibility of bringing in an outside Free Agent. With Ben Roethlisberger in the twilight of his career, and a defense on the rise, the team may be looking at one more run at a title with Roethlisberger at the helm. The fastest way to upgrade the roster would be to bring in a veteran player. Affording any offseason move will be challenging, but with a couple cuts and a restructured contract or two the team could bring in one more piece.
But who could that player be?
The biggest hole in the roster would suggest that tight end is the biggest need, but this offense historically struggles to get that position the ball with any consistency. Would it make any sense to bid on an Eric Ebron or Hunter Henry knowing they may only see 50 targets next season? Maybe a TE would be better off addressed in the NFL Draft.
The offensive line also has the potential to be drastically different if the likes of Ramon Foster, B.J. Finney, and Matt Feiler aren't retained. While it’s not an earth-shattering move, bringing in someone to protect Roethlisberger and the future QB’s of the organization wouldn't be such a bad idea. Joe Thuney and Brandon Scherff will command big money, but could stabilize the position for years to come. Tackles Jack Conklin or even a vet like Bryan Bulaga could help stretch out the final years of the Big Ben era.
Or, finally, what about adding someone to the running back room. James Conner has been fighting through injuries most of his young career, Jaylen Samuels seems to have regressed from his rookie season, and the jury is still out on Benny Snell Jr. Derrick Henry would change the entire identity of the offense and force opposing coaches to add more defensive players in the box, freeing up wideouts for more one on ones. Melvin Gordon is still a big play back, and what about re-aquiring Le’Veon Bell? The Jets seem destined on moving out the former Steelers pivot and Pittsburgh allegedly had interest in the move back at the trade deadline. However, all of these backs, including Bell, would cost a pretty penny for the Steelers to acquire.
Personally, I think injecting some new life into the offensive line would be a smart move. It would cost significantly less than adding another skill player and drafting one may take a year of development. While it wouldn't be easy, bringing in 2nd-team All-Pro Guard Joe Thuney would bolster the offense and would greatly help in the Steelers push to its 7th Super Bowl title.
So who do you want the Steelers to bring in? Let us know in the comments!