No assumptions can be made about the Steelers offseason with Khan/Weidl at the helm

The NFL new league year begins in just a few weeks. On March 13th, the legal tampering period begins where NFL teams can start to negotiate and come to terms on agreements on new contracts with free agents. Those agreements don’t become official until March 15th, the official start of the new league year, but all 32 teams are jockeying for both cap space and position with sought after players.

For the Pittsburgh Steelers, their global fan base has been looking at the team’s current salary cap situation, and starting to try and connect the dots with what they feel the team will do when the free agent frenzy begins.

But the vast majority of fans are making some assumptions based on what the Steelers did under previous General Manager (GM) Kevin Colbert. Throughout his two decade stint with the Steelers, Colbert’s actions were predictable. It wasn’t wrong or bad, just predictable.

It is natural for people to think the same will take place with Omar Khan at GM and Andy Weidl right next to him for the talent evaluation aspect of the position. However, those assumptions might be hasty. When team president Art Rooney II spoke with media this offseason, he made it clear the aforementioned duo is already doing things differently.

“We’re seeing changes already in the way Omar and Andy [Weidl] are preparing for the draft,” Rooney II said. “Those guys have their own ways of doing things that are a little different from Kevin [Colbert]. Everybody’s a little different. Certainly, we’ll see some changes in the approach to the draft. Just some of the things we’re doing already this time of year are different. Having said that, Kevin had a pretty successful run. So, there are a lot of different ways to get it done, right? I like the way Omar is going about it so far.”

I can’t speak for you reading this article, but there were certainly aspects of the previous regime I felt could benefit from a revamped perspective. Change isn’t always bad, and when you look at the Khan/Weidl tandem they certainly have a resume which should have fans confident in the direction of the organization.

Brooke Pryor of ESPN outlines what Weidl and Khan will bring to the Steelers front office:

The first-year assistant general manager Weidl previously helped construct the roster that would eventually get the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl. As the VP of player personnel, Weidl was the No. 2 behind Howie Roseman and was largely responsible for the last three Eagles’ draft classes that saw the addition of players like quarterback QB Jalen Hurts, DT Jordan Davis, WR DeVonta Smith and G Landon Dickerson.

In nearly two decades with the Steelers, Khan has mostly earned a reputation as a cap whiz, though he stressed upon his promotion to general manager that he would be involved in the talent evaluation, too, and was the lone general manager to attend the second annual HBCU Combine prior to the NFL combine.

As for Weidl, he is someone who is turning heads, as it pertains to his ability to alter the trajectory of the Steelers organization, in a good way. Our own Kevin Smith wrote a detailed breakdown of how Weidl could be the key to the Steelers landing an impact lineman this offseason. Check it out below:

With all that said, the message here is simple — throw out all of your preconceived notions about how the Steelers typically did things under the previous regime. Sure, Mike Tomlin is still the head coach, but with Khan calling the shots and Weidl pulling some strings, expect the unexpected in every way. Contract construction, draft strategy and plans in free agency. All of it. Throw it out the window, and it could be a positive for the organization moving forward.

Change can be scary, but it isn’t always bad. Let’s hope the Steelers see that type of positive change with Khan and Weidl at the helm.

Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the rest of the 2023 NFL offseason.