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The Pittsburgh Steelers are sitting in a weird place in this 2022 off season. Their roster truly isn’t a contender for the first time in 20 years, but they do have assets to become competitive, should they use them wisely. However, I’m starting to get a gut feeling the team will not aggressively fix the flaws of the roster.
The first inkling of this feeling came when soon-to-be-retired General Manager (GM) Kevin Colbert spoke at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine. One of the things he mentioned was hoping to see more out of Zach Banner next season. While this is a great sentiment, Banner is one of the most obvious salary cap cuts on the current roster. For an offensive line as bad as the Steelers, bringing back the same faces will not change much of anything.
Focusing on the offensive line is one of the most important tasks the Steelers must complete in the next few months. Adding just one player won’t change much, in terms of how good the unit will be. When looking at the offensive line, I believe the organization needs to add at least two starters, at minimum, and preferably a third.
With how Colbert described Banner I’m starting to get worried fans won’t even see one key addition to the unit. This would be a massive mistake and would hold this team back at least another season. You have to invest in this position group, and sitting on your hands with a player like Banner is not the aggressive approach many, including myself, want to see.
Another concern is how many assets the Steelers are going to dedicate to the quarterback position. It certainly sounds like the team will bring back both Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins in 2022; however, if the rumor mill is correct the Steelers will also likely add both a veteran and a rookie to this roster.
Having a number of average to below average players at quarterback is just wasting funds. If you want to develop a rookie, do so behind Rudolph or Haskins and spend the veteran quarterback money elsewhere. Wait until the roster is competitive before forcing a quarterback onto the team, or be certain the rookie you are selecting is that next franchise signal caller.
Another core belief is the fact the Steelers must add a difference maker in some way, shape or form. Someone who can add to the core of T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Najee Harris. Yes, drafting these players are great, but I think the Steelers need to be big game hunters in free agency and add a top level talent to juice up the roster.
To be specific, I am talking about names like JC Jackson, or Brandon Scherff. Someone that instantly raises the talent bar on the roster and is a driver of play in the coming seasons. On top of adding a fancy new player to the roster via free agency, I also feel the Steelers need to add somebody on offense who can provide veteran leadership and stability to a very young group.
If the Steelers wish to get out of this retool/rebuild anytime soon, they will focus on creating the best possible roster this year, then focus on acquiring a quarterback in the future with relentless aggression. That aggression needs to be matched in this offseason to fill out the rest of the roster.
But what do you think? Are you worried the Steelers won’t make the moves necessary to improve the roster? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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