When free agency first started for the Pittsburgh Steelers, they lost cornerback Cameron Sutton and made fans across the country worry. However, any doubts Steeler Nation had about general manager Omar Khan were swiftly put to rest as he put together one of the better offseasons on paper in recent memory for Pittsburgh. Not only was he able to fill holes in free agency, he set the team up well for the future in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Khan and the Steelers’ offseason have gotten plenty of praise from the media and got more of it today. In his Steelers preview for Yahoo Sports, Frank Schwab gave Pittsburgh’s offseason an “A” grade for countering every loss with an addition.
“Losing cornerback Cameron Sutton was a blow, but the Steelers were able to add veteran Patrick Peterson as a replacement,” wrote Schwab.” The only question is if Peterson hits the wall at age 33. Guard Isaac Seumalo, added from the Eagles, will help a rapidly improving line. There were other moves that should be upgrades: losing linebackers Devin Bush and Robert Spillane but signing Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts, and losing safety Terrell Edmunds but signing Keanu Neal. The Steelers countered every loss with a comparable add. Then the draft was a hit. Offensive tackle Broderick Jones in the first round was a great marriage of value and need. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. in the second round was more than just a feel-good story; it was the fruit of a shrewd trade when the Steelers shipped Chase Claypool to the Bears at the deadline last season. Porter could help right away. Fellow second-rounder Keeanu Benton will help the defensive line and third-rounder Darnell Washington is a massive tight end and intriguing prospect.”
Pittsburgh’s priority this year was to build up the offensive line for its young quarterback Kenny Pickett and did so by signing Philadelphia Eagles guard Isaac Seumalo, who was one of the better guards in the NFL last season. In addition, the Steelers drafted Pickett’s left tackle of the future in Broderick Jones. While he may not start right out of the gate, he has the potential to be the best left tackle in team history.
After losing Sutton in free agency, Khan brought in veteran Patrick Peterson, and while there are questions on how much gas he has left in the tank, at worst he will be a great mentor to the two rookie cornerbacks Pittsburgh drafted this season: Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr. The biggest weakness for the Steelers with the loss of Sutton was at cornerback and they potentially drafted a very high level one in Porter while having a high-ceiling project with Trice. The biggest question mark in the cornerback room now is slot cornerback but there are some rumblings that Peterson could see some time in the slot, which may make it less of a weakness than previously thought.
Another weakness of the team is at linebacker, but the new additions of Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts can’t be worse than what Pittsburgh had last year, right? Even if they are about the same, with the drafting of Wisconsin defensive lineman Keeanu Benton, who will see nose tackle snaps this year, Pittsburgh defensive line should be even better and make life easier for their linebackers.
All around, the Steelers had a great offseason and now another analyst is speaking up about it. It feels odd seeing so many people praise Pittsburgh’s offseason as it almost never happened under general manager Kevin Colbert. Hopefully everyone’s feeling is right, and it launches Pittsburgh into success.
My favorite aspect of the Steelers’ offseason is that they set themselves up for both now and the future. Moves like the signings of Peterson, Roberts, and Holcomb are all to help the team this year. The signing Seumalo and their entire draft should set the Steelers up nicely in the future. Khan did a great job of trying to build a playoff team this year, but a Super Bowl team in a few years.
So how will this great offseason set up Pittsburgh this year though? Schwab sees them as having a high floor and going over the betting line of 8.5 wins but still finishing last in the AFC North. The division is loaded, and it seems as of now among AFC North quarterbacks that Pickett has the lowest ceiling. For me, I find it hard to put them in last place in the division, something Pittsburgh hasn’t done since 1988, but I understand why when looking at the talent other teams have. However, coaching is vital, and Mike Tomlin is a great head coach who always seems to keep the ship steady and guide his team to winning records.
I think the Steelers can win the division this year, and a big part reason for that is the offseason they had. Both Schwab and I are huge fans of what Khan did this offseason, but we differ on how we think the year will play out.
