A Letter From the Editor: No NFL team is perfect

When the National Football League decided to start a salary cap and free agency, it changed everything. The amount of “dynasties” dropped off dramatically, and the league has turned into a year-to-year league with an insane amount of parody.

With that being said, I feel it’s also important to note how in today’s NFL no team’s roster is perfect.

No one’s.

Yes, there are teams who possess a greater amount of talent, and possibly a better starting lineup, but every roster has their holes. Even if you look at the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, even their roster has areas which could be improved upon.

This is an important facet of the offseason for Pittsburgh Steelers fans to remember from time-to-time. While new General Manager (GM) Omar Khan and his front office has done a tremendous job filling gaps in the lineup, holes still exist. However, instead of focusing on those holes, looking at how Khan and company have filled some of those holes is certainly noteworthy.

Through the offseason the team has created both competition and depth at many positions. Some which are noteworthy:

Offensive Guard

Signing both Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig doesn’t just push Kevin Dotson, but helps provide solid depth behind James Daniels and whoever, presumably Seumalo, starts opposite him.

Offensive Tackle

Drafting Broderick Jones means the team has made a long term investment into the left tackle position. How the right tackle spot ends is anyone’s guess, but the depth the team has now is markedly better than it was a year ago.

Defensive Line

After drafting Keeanu Benton, the team is starting to solidify their defensive line. Throw in the return of Larry Ogunjobi and now the Steelers continue their trend of adding quality depth at key positions.

Wide Receiver

When you looked at the Steelers wide receiver depth chart heading into the offseason it was pretty bare. Now, after adding Allen Robinson and Hakeem Butler from the XFL, and the Steelers now have a solid crop of pass catchers all vying for a few spots in training camp.

I could continue with this exercise, but the article would become lengthy real quick. Ultimately, it just illustrates how Khan and his front office have done a noteworthy job of not just sitting back and hoping for the best from their returning lineup. Instead, they decided to go out and create the environment which should result in improvement across the board in 2023.

One thing to always keep in mind is while the Steelers still have holes in their depth at positions like inside linebacker, remember no team’s roster is perfect. In fact, no team’s roster will be perfect when the regular season rolls around. Instead, it’s more about the team who can piece together the best lineup week-to-week.

Did the Steelers do enough in this regard? Only time will tell, but I like what they’ve done to this point without a doubt.

(Note: The Letter From the Editor article runs every Sunday during the Pittsburgh Steelers offseason.)