The journey toward Super Bowl LII ended far too prematurely for the Pittsburgh Steelers, sending them into offseason mode before we were ready for it. But we are in it now, and are ready to move on, through the Combine, through free agency, through the draft, into OTAs, and beyond.
We have asked and answered a lot of questions over the years and will continue to do so, and at the moment, there seem to be a ton of questions that need answering. A surprise early exit in the postseason will do that to you though, especially when it happens in the way it did.
You can rest assured that we have the questions, and we will be monitoring developments all throughout the offseason process, all the way down to Latrobe. Pending free agents, possible veteran roster cuts, contract extensions, pre-draft visits, pro days, all of it will have its place when the time arises.
Question: How will Todd Haley do with the Cleveland Browns as their offensive coordinator?
While the question is only indirectly related to the Steelers, I trust that it is understood why I am asking it. The Steelers chose to part company with their offensive coordinator, Todd Haley, after six seasons, and soon after leaving he joined the Browns to act as their offensive coordinator.
Inevitably, that means that Pittsburgh will be facing Haley in Cleveland twice a year, at least until he is fired. While the Steelers under Haley put up four of their six highest-scoring seasons in franchise history, there was a lot of animosity and criticism of the way that he went about his business, and it would seem that a large number of fans, perhaps even the majority, were happy to see him go.
I do wonder what those fans think about him being in Cleveland. Are they happy that he is there because they believe that his presence will assure that they remain futile? Is a part of them worried that the Browns with his offense might actually beat the Steelers every now and then?
In order to answer the question of how Haley will fare with the Browns’ offense, of course, there are some answers that need to be provided first. By the time the regular season starts, they could have Kirk Cousins and Saquon Barkley in there, with some big free agent wide receiver addition as well. They have the draft and cap capital to completely rebuild their offense this offseason.
In all honesty, I find myself incredibly intrigued by how this offseason goes for Haley and the Browns, because it truly feels like a pivotal moment. If this is not the beginning of a turnaround, then it is hard to picture them becoming relevant again any time soon. The table is set for them—unless Haley, of course, pulls the tablecloth and sends everything crashing to the ground—the question is, will they feast?
