March clichés and dates just for Steelers fans

The 2021 NFL offseason has been rolling along. It seems like just the other day we were met with heartache as the Steelers postseason run came to a very quick and abrupt end on Wildcard Weekend. But here we are, through the month of February and moving into March.

When it to comes to March, there are several sayings and various dates within the month that some may have heard and others may have not. With the next several weeks being very important in shaping the Steelers 2021 offseason, March affects the month of September much more than some realize.

Let’s take a look at some various phrases and dates for this coming month and tie them back to the Steelers, if nothing more than just for a nice, fun exercise.

March comes in like a “tight end” and out like a “running back”

Have you ever heard the phrase “March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb” in any of your childhood? Perhaps it was just me in my mid-Atlantic, Appalachian, farm country upbringing where this phrase was uttered in regards to the weather. It’s signified March being a big transition month with the end of winter into the beginning of spring.

My specific example above talks about March being a transition month for the Steelers when it comes to their team needs. On March 1, 2020, the number one need in the upcoming NFL draft for the majority of Steelers’ fans was a tight end. I even tuned in to some of the Senior Bowl in order to check out some of the prospects because it was such a position of need for the Steelers. But after a new CBA and the start of NFL free agency, the signing of Eric Ebron took a tight end from a large area of need to position the Steelers did not even select in the 2020 NFL draft.

March looks to be shaping up the same way for the 2021 Steelers. There may be one major position of need on March 1 which might be completely off the table by the end of the month after the initial surge in free agency is over. What might it be this year?

Daylight Savings Time

On March 14 we have to remember to “spring forward” and set our clocks ahead one hour (at least in the United States) or else we run the risk of being late for various Sunday activities. When it comes to the Steelers, they need to get their clocks ready as it’s about to kick off a very big and important week…

“Beware the Ides of March”

Was everybody else forced to read the play Julius Caesar in 10th grade? I know I was, and this is one of the lines that stuck with me. For those unfamiliar with it, it was a “doom and gloom” prophecy about the March 15 and foreshadowing the death of Caesar. For 2021, March 15 kicks off the legal tampering period (yes, that term really is a thing) where free agents can talk to other teams and set up possible contracts which can be signed once the official start of the league year begins. As for the Steelers, they need to beware of this date because, even if they hope to retain them, this signifies the time where their plethora of unrestricted free agents can begin to slip through their fingers.

St. Patrick’s Day (Woo hoo!)

Whether or not you’re a big St. Patrick’s Day person, it’s a day signified with celebration usually with including various adult beverages. While I could try to go in a green direction with his analogy, I think I’ll go with the beverage celebration that some players may be making after officially signing there’s huge contracts. With the start of the league year at 4 PM on March 17, the Steelers may find several of their unrestricted free agent inking a large deal in another city. While Steelers fans have already embraced the knowledge that several of their favorite players will be wearing a different uniform in 2021, the biggest hope now is that they can sign the largest deal possible once they are gone in order to help the Steelers in the compensatory formula. So bring on the champagne if the Steelers lose a free agent as the bigger the deal they get on the way out, the better it works for the Steelers.

The first day of Spring

Spring has sprung officially on March 20, 2021. If the Steelers haven’t “sprung” into action in free agency, it might be time to get in the game as the prices start to come down.

(Face) Palm Sunday

With Easter falling on April 4 in 2021, Palm Sunday is March 28. The reason I am calling this time period “Face Palm Sunday” is after more than 10 days a free agency, there are bound to be some players signing a deal or we can’t believe the Steelers didn’t get in on the action. Whether it be losing one of their own free agents or somebody else getting a great deal, we will be asking ourselves why the Steelers couldn’t pull the trigger on a similar offer to acquire the services of said player.

So there are some fun comparisons between various things in the month of March and how they relate to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Of course, this was just a nice, silly exercise as we prepare for what looks to be a very interesting month in the NFL. Look on the bright side, at least it wasn’t another salary cap article.