When you start looking at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster, you notice a stark difference from the one the team fielded a season ago. Numerous starters have been replaced on the offensive and defensive sides of the football, including left guard, defensive line, inside linebacker, cornerback, and safety. The depth of the roster also experienced a makeover with new faces coming into the building.
For a team that prides itself on stability and continuity, this offseason has been the most turbulent in franchise history when you consider the turnover on the roster, in the coaching staff, and in the front office. OLB T.J. Watt spoke about the noticeable changes on SiriusXM NFL Radio with Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller, stating that the new players know what to expect when it comes to being a Pittsburgh Steeler.
“It is different,” Watt said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “This has been the biggest turnover I feel like since I’ve been here. But the Steeler Way is well-respected and understood across the NFL. It’s not one of those things that really needs to be explained to people, and if it does, we always have veterans that come around.”
Pittsburgh has traditionally been a team that has built through the NFL Draft and supplemented its roster through free agency, prioritizing developing and keeping its own and filling in the cracks with players outside the organization. However, HC Mike Tomlin mentioned that the players added via free agency and trades this offseason know what it’s like to be a Pittsburgh Steeler, much like Watt referenced above.
“Yes, we play free agency, but there’s a history there because ground zero is difficult at this stage of the game, particularly when you’re talking about established veterans and being the type of leaders that you need ’em to be,” Tomlin said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “They gotta know what your beat is and your beat’s gotta be similar to their beat. And all of these guys fit that bill.”
Tomlin has often referred to LB Elandon Roberts and WR Allen Robinson II as two players that Pittsburgh had heavy interest in during the draft but was unable to select them. However, they had the makings of what it takes to be a Steeler, or as Tomlin phased it, have a similar beat. So while they may have played several seasons with other teams across the league, the people that they are and their approach to things didn’t change, making them ideal targets to sign as experienced veterans.
While the roster has experienced the greatest shakeup in recent memory, the Steelers prioritized adding guys they know fit with their culture and can help elevate the rest of the team. We’ve seen that with CB Patrick Peterson taking on a mentorship role for the younger cornerbacks despite being new to the team himself. Thus, using the draft and free agency together to build a balanced team of youth and veterans should help Pittsburgh be more competitive in the AFC North and make a push for the division crown.
