Here we are, you and I. At it another year as I put on my general manager’s hat and run the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season. Yeah, Omar Khan did alright in his first full offseason in control. Solid free agent pickups, one of the best draft classes in the league. But me? I can do better. That’s what I tell myself, anyway. It’s not a lie if you believe it. The George Costanza way.
For the 10th time, we’re going through a Pittsburgh Steelers mock offseason. Incredible. If you are new here, we utilize FanSpeak’s Ultimate GM Simulator, allowing us to take reins of the team and act out an entire offseason. Beginning with cutting and re-signing our own players, going through free agency, and drafting. And we like to make this as in-depth and thorough as possible. At the bottom of the post, I’ll leave a link where you can try your hand at controlling the team.
Sometimes the results end well, and I feel like I should be GM. Sometimes, I feel like I shouldn’t even be getting the coaches coffee. This is always done in one take. The good, the bad, and the ugly. This year’s attempt was a wild ride.
I hope you’re ready. And really, I hope I’m ready. As I’m sure no future Steelers quarterback will say this season. Let’s Ride.
Standard background information that’s important to share. Here’s the setup I’ll use to run the offseason. Full seven-round draft, I chose the Steven Schoup draft board, kept it on “Classic” while forever unsure of what “difficult” means. The computer will use the same big board as me to hopefully keep the wackiness to only my own hijinks. We’ll see how that pans out.
Before slicing and dicing and turning this franchise around, let’s get a lay of the land. Here’s the cap space the simulator gives me to start – $20.4 million.
Higher than it feels like it should be. I’ll find out why in a moment. Before the offseason gets going, we have a chance to make some moves. The opportunity to trade for – and trade away – players. Do we shake things up in the early going? Move WR Diontae Johnson instead of seeing him play out his final season? If QB Kenny Pickett isn’t the answer, is this the time to move on? Options worth considering but I won’t torch the roster. Yet.
I call around for any takers on DL DeMarvin Leal, who is clearly not in our long-term plans. The Dallas Cowboys showed interest in him ahead of the 2022 draft. I ring Dan Quinn, Dallas’ former defensive coordinator and Washington’s current head coach, and the Seattle Seahawks, whose d-line coach was with the organization at the time.
A simple offer. Next year’s seventh-round pick for Leal. Literally the least I could ask for.
Both teams give me identical responses.
Leal will have to stay. For now. Unless I can get the Commanders’ washing machine.
Before embarking on free agency, we have ways to create our own cap room. Restructures and cuts. Center Mason Cole still exists on our roster so we, like the real thing, cut ties. WR Allen Robinson II’s number is untenable and though a blocker and a leader, he is a possession receiver’s possession receiver. I don’t see a future. Thank you Allen, we wish you well. Keanu Neal is a declining and aging box safety and even without a clear next step, we cut him, too. Finally, Cam Heyward restructures his deal, which we’ll pretend was a two-year extension to reduce his current cap charge.
In all, I wind up $52 million in space.
Which is, frankly, too high. The Steelers now feel like the Dodgers, able to sign free agents at will. To keep this more realistic than throwing dollar bills at every conceivable player, we’ll budget for other needed expenses, including the in-season “rainy day” fund. Because at some point, it’s gonna rain. Assuming we need $10 million for all of that, let’s set us at a limit of spending only $42 million of that surplus. Still eating good but we don’t need surf and turf. We’ll go steak and potatoes.
I have good news. And I have bad news.
The good news? This sim often throws random names onto my roster. Players who aren’t and never have been Steelers. No such examples here. The bad news? This roster is light. We’re missing some puzzle pieces. The “re-signing stage” greets me with only a couple of names. The three players I released and three pending free agents: NT Montravius Adams, CB Levi Wallace, and LB Kwon Alexander.
There’s no Armon Watts, Miles Killebrew, Mason Rudolph, Chandon Sullivan. They don’t exist anywhere and never appear in free agency. Figments of our football imagination. We’ll break the fourth wall and take some liberties with the sim and pretend Watts and Killebrew re-sign on straight one-year, $3 million deals. Which adjusts our cap parameters down another six million to $36 million. Ok, let’s move on before turning this into Account Simulator.
I don’t make any re-signings and dive into free agency. The other 31 teams were busy, locking up several names I had eyes on. And wow, the Ravens choose LB Patrick Queen over Justin Madubuike. That’s a…well, it’s a decision. QB Kirk Cousins re-ups with the Vikings, taking a top arm off the board.
Here’s a look at our roster heading into the new league year. This list includes Future/Reserve players signed over the winter.
QB: Kenny Pickett
RB: Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Aaron Shampklin, Godwin Igwebuike, Alfonzo Graham
FB: Jack Coletto
TE: Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, Rodney Williams
WR: Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Calvin Austin III, Duece Watts, Denzel Mims, Keilahn Harris, Dez Fitzpatrick, Marquez Callaway
OT: Dan Moore Jr., Broderick Jones, Dylan Cook, Devery Hamilton, Anderson Hardy, Kellen Diesch
OG: Isaac Seumalo, James Daniels, Nate Herbig, Tyler Beach, Joey Fisher
C: Spencer Anderson, Ryan McCollum
DE: Cam Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, DeMarvin Leal, Armon Watts*, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Jonathan Marshall, Jacob Slade,
NT: Keeanu Benton
EDGE: T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jeremiah Moon, David Perales, Kyron Johnson
ILB: Cole Holcomb, Kwon Alexander, Elandon Roberts, Mark Robinson, Tyler Murray,
CB: Joey Porter Jr., Patrick Peterson, Cory Trice Jr., Darius Rush, Luq Barcoo, Josiah Scott, Kalon Barnes, Thomas Graham
S: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Damontae Kazee, Trenton Thompson, Miles Killebrew*, Nate Meadors, Jalen Elliott,
K: Chris Boswell
P:Â None
LS: Christian Kuntz
Free Agency – Day 1
Our list of team needs. All we need is quarterback, center, offensive tackle, inside linebacker, probably another corner and wide receiver, and definitely defensive line. Other than that, we’re flying high. Here’s a look at some of the top available free agents.
And so naturally we begin with our biggest need. Punter. How many can I sign? All of the punters? It’s not an inspiring note to Kenny Pickett and this offense to first target the guy who comes onto the field when an offense fails. But it’s a reality confronted all too often before. We need a field flipper, the true first line of defense before T.J. Watt and company take the field.
Enter Tommy Townsend. A premier punter coming off a monster Super Bowl performance, I look to make him the highest paid punter in the league. Which isn’t saying a lot but still looks good on a bumper sticker. Our offer? Three years, $12.3 million with a $4.3 million signing bonus.
Secondary is a serious need top to bottom. Corner and safety, there’s question marks, even with Patrick Peterson retained. Sean Murphy-Bunting is in our wheelhouse, an athletic though inconsistent corner who wouldn’t have to face top receivers each week. That’s Joey Porter Jr.’s job. A call to his agent ends with this offer. Two years, $10.2 million with $4.08 million guaranteed.
I know we’ve been playing in the kiddie pool. Let’s dive into the deep end. Strong free agent safety class, weak draft class, this is the area we won’t hold back. The Washington Commanders’ Kamren Curl is only 25 and coming off a great year. He can hit, he can cover, and he will get paid. By us, hopefully. A large deal, by our standards at least. Three years, $39 million consisting of a $13.65 million signing bonus. It’d make him a top-10 safety in terms of pay and he’d play opposite Minkah Fitzpatrick.
I can already hear Colin Cowherd gritting his teeth over spending more money on defense.
It has been a defensive-heavy approach right down to the punter whose goal is to bail out the offense. So let’s flip to the other side of the ball. We’ll go with center Connor McGovern. There are two Connor McGoverns so to be clear, we’re talking to the Jets one. One-year, $2.1 million, what he played for in 2023 with a $315,000 signing bonus.
And I can’t help but take another whack at defense. Not that the offense is set-and-forget-it but my goal, my hope, and my prayer, is that’ll be handled through the strong draft classes. I’ll take on a first-round reclamation project in the San Francisco 49ers’ DL Javon Kinlaw. His deal? Two years, $6.8 million with $1.7 million guaranteed.
With that, even knowing I’ve done nothing else at quarterback and Kenny Pickett is still the Will Smith meme, we end the day. Let’s cross our fingers and hope someone signed. Legitimately, I’m nervous and can barely bring myself to advance the day.
The results. Drumroll, please.
Two of the five agree. Our secondary is changed in a day, Murphy-Bunting and Curl inking their contracts. Townsend and Kinlaw decline while McGovern gives us the middle finger as he signs elsewhere, inking a deal with the Packers. Which, yeah, it was a pretty crappy low-ball deal on my part. I get it. Here’s a look at leaguewide Day 1 signings.
And plenty of quarterbacks are coming off the board, including Ryan Tannehill, who got way too much money. Head coach Dave Canales never had a chance. If that’s the going price of a quarterback, we’re in big trouble.
DE Chase Young fleeces the 49ers and goes back to Washington. A hilarious outcome.
Free Agency – Day 2
A quick look of our cap space shows we’re down to $38.584 million, which given our parameters, puts us with $22 mil and change to actually to work with.
With the quarterback market already quickly moving, we hit up Sam Darnold. Which at this point, is sort of our last hope at this point. It’s Day 2 and I already feel desperate. Darnold receives a modest offer, two-years, $10.6 million with just over $4 million guaranteed. Come compete, Sam.
Switching gears and going back to defense, LB Jordyn Brooks is a former first-round pick who turned into a tackling machine and well-rounded player. This offer seems more than fair. Three-years, $18.3 million with $6.405 million of that in the form of a signing bonus.
More panic. We need a center. We’ve got almost nothing at the two positions who touch the ball every play, center and quarterback. This storm is already brewing. With limited options after several re-signings, including the Atlanta Falcons holding onto Matt Hennessy, my options are limited. Much to my chagrin, I call Will Clapp. Am I confident he’s our answer? No. No, I am not. But I need a body here before the draft. Two-years, $6 million with a hair under $2 million guaranteed.
Another run at Kinlaw. If you know this series, I’ll stubbornly offer a player more and more until TE Will Dissly can make $20 million per year. Reckless vindication. Kinlaw’s deal is upped to what should be an enticing contract for a guy who has struggled to stay healthy and isn’t an impact pass rusher. Two years, $7.6 million, and a $3.04 million signing bonus. That should do the trick, right?
Pivoting back to o-line depth, a swing tackle would be nice. Moving Broderick Jones to left tackle is one of my goals but the answer probably won’t be found in free agency. It won’t be Cornelius Lucas, a versatile veteran who gets offered a two-year, $4.9 million deal, but he can back up both starting tackles. I’ll let you know who those two guys end up being.
With those four offers submitted, I call it a day and see who’s in and who’s out.
Darnold accepts. And judging by how these other quarterbacks are being delivered dump trucks of money, his agent should be fired. No takebacks though. Darnold signed on the dotted line. I made copies.
Everyone else says no. Including Kinlaw, who is already playing the game of how stupid I can be. He wants Dissly money. He just might get it.
Clapp says no and like McGovern, leverages my deal to take a much better one with the New York Giants. I am just a pawn in this game. A look around the rest of the NFL.
RB Tony Pollard signs a four-year, $54.8 million deal with the Panthers. It’s official, Carolina is the worst-run organization in sports. The Cincinnati Bengals make a move landing WR Curtis Samuel on a large-money deal. And Teddy Bridgewater has evidently unretired. I would too for $5.7 million a year.
Free Agency – Day 3
Cap space check-in post-Darnold: $34.3 million remaining with $18.3 million effective in our guidelines.
Hello again, Tommy Townsend. My punter pursuit will not stop. Another offer in this bidding war against myself. Three years, $14.25 million, with a $5.7 million signing bonus.
Thumbing through the center list like an old phone book, options are bleak. Can we hold open tryouts, Vince Papale style? Evan Brown, I guess. A two-year deal worth $6.4 million with a $2.24 million signing bonus. My anxiety here is skyrocketing.
I kick LB Jordyn Brooks’ offer up another notch. Three years, $21 million with more than $7 million in guarantees. Maybe that’ll do the trick.
With Kinlaw spurning us and my showing rare restraint to stop increasing the price, I turn to Chicago d-lineman Justin Jones. Maybe not the ideal fit but younger than our starters. A three-year deal at just over three million per season, $10.5 million total. We’re hoping to finally add some depth.
May I interest you in a slightly used Chase Claypool?
Nah, we’re not actually going to do that.
But seriously, what about WR Tyler Boyd? Robinson is gone and there’s no slot/possession receiver to work with. Hometown kid, near the end of his career, it’s a solid match. A one-year deal thrown his way.
Still needing a tackle, I call Chris Hubbard. ‘Ol Mother Hubbard, the former Steeler. Near the twilight of his career, a one-year $2.3 million as a basement-level swing lineman should give him some extra money in his pocket before moving on with his life’s work.
Let’s lay our cards on the table and see what the answers are.
Everyone says no but Townsend. It’s disappointing. Our offense looks uninspiring. There are still major holes. But! But! Punter. We have a punter.
Another look at leaguewide signings.
Free Agency – Day 4
With our guardrails factored in, there’s $14.7 million of cap space remaining. No linebacker, no offensive tackle, no defensive linemen. Healthy amount of money, unhealthy amount of needs.
With Chris Hubbard turning us down, what about Matt Feiler? ♪♪All my exes live in the Fanspeak offseason simulator♪♪ He gets a one-year offer worth $3 million and at this point, I don’t even know why I’m trying this. I guess we could teach him center? But I’m flailing wildly in my desperation, the working title for this offseason attempt.
With WR Miles Boykin disappearing into the void, I search for his replacement. Someone who can offer more on offense, too, as a 4th/5th wide receiver. That’s Ashton Dulin, who logged 187 special teams snaps a year ago and had nearly a 14-yard average as a receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. Two years ago, he was an All-Pro special teamer. Two years, $4.6 million, $1.5 million guaranteed sent his way.
And flipping back to inside linebacker, I reach out to Kansas City Chiefs LB Willie Gay Jr.’s representation. His offer? Three-years, $17.1 million, with $5.13 million guaranteed. And that’s a wrap.
Ughhhhhhh
Gay signs a $43.5 million deal with the Texans. How do I compete with that insanity?
Free Agency – Day 5
We’re into our fifth day. And we’ve only plugged holes at safety and punter. This calls for a distraction. Quick, deploy emergency Taylor Swift!Â
Working quickly to add some semblance of depth prior to the draft, I offer three deals:
WR Tyler Boyd – 1 year, $5.1 million, $1.785 million guaranteed.
OC Lucas Patrick – 2 years, $6 million, $1.8 million guaranteed.
OT Kendall Lamm – 2 years, $5 million, $1 million guaranteed.
Patrick and Lamm are two underwhelming but experienced and versatile veterans I think can be had on the cheap.
Please. Something happen.
Free Agency – Day 6
This isn’t even a simulator. There’s nothing being simulated. I’m just punching in numbers and clicking buttons. I’m a rat in a maze chasing a piece of cheese that isn’t even there.
I offer Kinlaw one last deal, a desperation heave that’s more than I actually want to give him. Two years, $10 million with $3.5 million guaranteed. And that’s it. I’ve lost the spirit to trudge on.
Pain.
Free Agency – Day 7
Burn it down. Burn it all down. What started with a twinkle in my eye ends with a tear. There are still so many areas I gotta address. In hindsight, I should’ve spent more money. I had the money, lots of it, even with my self-imposed limitations. But pride won out, wanting the player at the right price as opposed to an overpay.
The last offer I make goes back to Dulin, one year at $3 million.
He signs. We can celebrate the little things. It’s not much but it’s honest work.
Free Agency – Day 8
Still flush with over $11 million in available space, my wallet is full, but my tank is empty. Despite more days left on the calendar, I pack it in and get ready for the draft. Maybe there we’ll have more success. But we also have a long list of needs. A recap of my free agent signings.
Free Agent Signings
S Kamren Curl – 3 years, $39 million ($13.65 million signing bonus)
QB Sam Darnold – 2 years, $10.6 million ($4.24 million signing bonus)
CB Sean Murphy-Bunting – 2 years, $10.2 million ($4.08 million signing bonus)
P Tommy Townsend – 3 years, $14.25 million ($5.7 million signing bonus)
WR Ashton Dulin – 1 year, $3 million
With a combination of hope, despair, and nervousness, we head toward the NFL draft. Roll up your sleeves, this is shaping up to be a long few days. No margin for error.
2024 NFL Draft
Going into the draft, I have one and only one thought.
Trade down.
I have to do it. There are so many areas this team still has to fill. And our current draft capital just won’t cut it. Picks-wise, here are our selections to begin Night 1.
We let the top five and then the top 10 picks play out. Here’s how things look.
Quarterback, tackle, and wide receiver heavy. Jim Harbaugh taking TE Brock Bowers at No. 5 raises an eyebrow but overall, a fairly standard top 10.
The rest of the picks roll in. On the screen in our war room/mother’s basement, 17, 18, 19 roll on by. The commissioner/my mother calls. We’re on the clock. Also, the pizza rolls are ready.
And I can only think one thing. Move down. Literally, I barely even look at the board. There are options, including QB J.J. McCarthy, who has fallen out of the top 19. But my mind can’t wrap around anything other than working the phones and doing something to move down and acquire more capital. It’s blind tunnel vision. It’s not the place you want to be. But it’s where I am.
Looking for quarterback-needy teams trying to move up, ignoring that we’re a quarterback-needy team, I call around. This looks like prime territory for the New York Giants. My offer to GM Joe Schoen: I’ll send pick No. 20 and pick. N0 120 in the fourth round for both of his second-round picks, No. 39 and 47 and his third rounder, pick No. 70.
No dice. It’s declined.
I try something similar with the Arizona Cardinals, offering pick 20 for No. 27 that they got from Houston along with a third and fourth rounder. Same response. We’ll pass.
The clock is ticking. What about Detroit? Maybe the Lions are looking for a move to put them over the top, even if it won’t be quarterback. The offer? Sending 20 for No. 29, 73, and 207. I’d pick up an extra Day 2 pick while staying in the first round.
Boom! They accept. Last year, the Steelers trade up. This year, the Steelers trade down. It’s frenetic and uncomfortable and there’s chaos in the war room but it’s a done deal. We have an extra third. And that sixth. Can’t forget about that sixth.
The Lions take Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry. We wait out turn for No. 29. Soon enough, we’re on the clock. Here are the players we missed out on.
A lot of quality corners just said goodbye. And those two tackles go right ahead of us. Not going to lie, that really stings. As we look over the board, here are the best players still available. It’s a strong list.
Offensive line remains a glaring problem. And center is our biggest need after repeatedly striking out in free agency with even a bottom-tier option. Conventional wisdom suggests taking West Virginia’s Zach Frazier. But this offseason, as you can tell, has been anything but. Again getting tunnel vision and not considering quarterback as strongly as I should be — McCarthy is still on the board while Oregon’s Bo Nix is appealing — but I know where I’m going. And you might not like it.
Duke’s offensive lineman Graham Barton. Not to play tackle but center. Yes, it sounds like Kendrick Green all over again. Take the non-center and plug him in there, really wise, Alex. I get it. But Barton is bigger and longer, far more refined, super smart, and has played and trained to play at the pivot. He can do it. That’s what I tell myself.
Barton is our man. The Duke Blue Devil is now a Steeler. Fun fact, Barton’s the first player from Duke the Steelers have drafted since DE Chris Combs in 2000 and only the third since 1959. If you come away hating this pick, at least you have some information. I may not be a good GM but I’m a great Snapple cap.
The end of Day 1 gives us the chance to catch our breath. But we’re not done working the phones. This time, the Bills call us. It’s a wild deal, one I can’t make sense of. The night hasn’t even started, but I rush to accept.
Move down a handful of spots for a third? Duh. Maybe the rest of the league has taken pity on me. I’ll accept it. Keep collecting picks to clean up this mess. Or maybe just dig a deeper hole.
It takes awhile but it’s finally our turn at pick No. 60. The best on the board.
With inside linebacker a no-go in free agency and Cole Holcomb’s knee as shaky as my current job status, we take the best off-ball linebacker possible. That’s NC State’s Payton Wilson, an incredible athlete with size and production. Health is the only concern due to medical red flags from early in his career, but we’ll take that chance. Welcome to Pittsburgh.
Marching to the third round. With three picks, this is where we can make up ground.
It’s still a bit until we can go on our run with picks 84, 92, and 98. Anxiously waiting until that pick, we have a dilemma. I’m down to two options: Clemson DL Ruke Orhorhoro and Michigan WR Roman Wilson. In the end, I lean Orhorhoro with d-line such a need and receiver a little less so in a deep class and for Arthur Smith’s offense. With a little luck, we’ll see if Wilson is there eight picks from now.
Something bends our way. Wilson is there. A smaller frame but slot option who can make big plays, this Michigan man becomes Pittsburgh’s guy. A glimmer of hope.
To round out the third round, corner and tackle remain big-time needs. The class offers depth at both but it’s drying up. With slightly better top-end talent, I go corner with Notre Dame’s Cam Hart. Big and long the way we’ve been building them, he doesn’t have to be counted on immediately with Murphy-Bunting around and can develop for a season while offering us depth.
Our trio of third-rounders.
That closes out Day 2. It’s still not how I envisioned things but we’re making strides.
Back-to-back picks are a beautiful thing. Picking at No. 119 and 120 is a weight off a GM’s shoulders. It’s not either/or like most picks. It’s both/and. With tackle still on our list, we go with Texas’ Christian Jones at 119. Big and powerful in the run game who ran well at the Combine and has experience at both tackle spots, he may slide in as a top backup to begin the year. It’s a longer wait then I (or you) want, I know I’m already being corrected in the comments below, but I told you you’d see the good, bad, and ugly.
Next up, we go back to the secondary to address the slot. Not an immediate need with Patrick Peterson there for another year, I go with Auburn’s Jaylin Simpson, who picked off four passes last season while playing a mix of slot and safety. That closes out Round 4.
And now, without a fifth-round pick, we wait. Trading up is an option by giving up future capital or doing something with our sixth-round picks. But we punt on the idea. Round 5 takes forever to go through while we look over our notes and evaluate our board. Round 6 arrives, us holding picks 194 and 204. We’re focused on talent to finish things out. And I’m taking Florida State defensive tackle Fabien Lovett to be the backup nose tackle. He’s not much of a pass rusher but he can plug the run, and that can’t be forgotten as depth behind Keeanu Benton with Montravius Adams out the door.
Ten picks later and we flip to offense, a small-schooler in New Hampshire RB Dylan Laube. Short but with some stockiness, he’s a top-receiving RB who will fit into Arthur Smith’s offense, which likes to throw to the backs. Snapple time – he’s the second player from New Hampshire the Steelers have ever drafted, joining *the* Clayton Lane, a 14th-round pick in 1948.
One more pick to close things out, our 10th of the draft. And we return to receiver, a double dip in the draft, with a local name. Pitt wideout Bub Means has size and is a big-play threat to serve as additional depth and potentially part of the 2025 53-man roster.
The draft is over. Here’s the final selections including this year’s Mr. Irrelevant, Missouri S Jaylon Carlies.
To recap, here’s our two trades.
And our 10 selections.
Round 1, 29th Overall – Graham Barton/C Duke
Round 2, 60th Overall – Payton Wilson/ILB NC State
Round 3, 84th Overall – Ruke Orhorhoro/DL Clemson
Round 3, 92nd Overall – Roman Wilson/WR Michigan
Round 3, 98th Overall – Cam Hart/CB Notre Dame
Round 4, 119th Overall – Christian Jones/OT Texas
Round 4, 120th Overall – Jaylin Simpson/CB Auburn
Round 6, 194th Overall – Fabien Lovett/NT Florida State
Round 6, 204th Overall – Dylan Laube/RB New Hampshire
Round 7, 239th Overall – Bub Means/WR Pitt
If you’re interested, here are the other AFC North draft classes.
The Cleveland Browns:
The Cincinnati Bengals:
And the Baltimore Ravens. True to form, they draft well.
Back to us. With a handful of open spots on our 90-man roster, we sign the following undrafted free agents and invite several names to rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.
** denotes tryout invite
Ryan Sanborn/P Texas
Alex McNulty/K Buffalo
Emory Jones/QB Cincinnati
Jack Plummer/QB Louisville
Amari Gainer/LB North Carolina
Patrick McMorris/S Cal
Ryan Cooper Jr./DB Oregon State
Cade Beresford/OT Boise State
Davon Gilmore/EDGE Georgia State**
Braden Brose/TE-FB Delaware**
Oscar Cardenas/TE UTSA**
Malik Feaster/CB Memphis**
Joe Golden/DL Oregon State**
Jyron Russell/QB Edward Waters**
Markese Stepp/RB Western Kentucky**
Ahmarean Brown/WR South Carolina**
Brian Hightower/WR Cal**
Rich Miller/ILB Kansas**
Zeke Zaragoza/LS Oklahoma State**
Jeremiah Crawford/OT Tennessee**
Marcus Banks/S Mississippi State**
Duke Clemens/C UCLA**
Here is our training camp, 90-man depth chart.
Golden and Crawford are the two tryout players who make the 90-man, replacing Slade and Hamilton.
After the summer, here’s the 53-man roster ahead of Week 1.
Nine of the 10 draft picks make it, Means the only exception. It’s a youth infusion, something needed more so on defense than on offense. Going new age and only carrying two quarterbacks with a third on the practice squad instead. And we’ll assume Pickett gets the Week 1 nod over Darnold though he needs to show he’s the team’s franchise quarterback in a hurry.
The skill positions don’t look miserable. Wilson will be an immediate impact player, though we’re missing the “big slot” to help out in the running game.
The offensive line, there’s some risk and not the definitive upgrades for which I angled. But I am confident in Barton. And this might be trying to convince myself more than you, but Dylan Cook is a talented offensive lineman. With more reps, I don’t have a big issue with him being a potential swing tackle. There’s a reason he was kept on the 53 all last season. Similar with Spencer Anderson, who focuses on being the team’s top backup. My seven gameday linemen would be the starting five plus Cook and Anderson, the rookie Jones beginning his career as a healthy scratch.
Defensively, the secondary did get younger and faster and overall more athletic. That was key. Wilson, if healthy, is going to be a talented inside linebacker and finally drafting and developing someone is the right call. The d-line sees changes at the bottom with DeMarvin Leal and Isaiahh Loudermilk gone. And our shiny new punter, Townsend, will bail us out of some tough spots. We’ve never had a leg like his before.
Final Thoughts
Turns out, being a GM is hard. Who knew? My goal was to truly better the quarterback outlook with a long-term option and move Broderick Jones to left tackle. With the dust settled, it doesn’t look like either of those things are happening.
Here’s where I cope. If the team stays healthy and the roster stays together, then 2025 is the year of the quarterback if Pickett can’t show he’s the guy. There’s at least an earnest summer competition; Darnold could win the job, or if not, be a capable backup. And Jones could be a fine right tackle. He will grow there.
But if you can ignore that, and all the other areas I missed, and pretend I was born a coal miner in the 1920s who didn’t have the concept of what an NFL general manager or mock simulator was, this would be pretty good!
Clearly, not one of my best attempts. But that’s the fun of the exercise. It doesn’t always go right. And I’ve set an awfully low bar for Omar Khan to clear.
If you’d like to try your hand at this offseason sim, click the Fanspeak link here. Thanks so much for reading, I’d love to hear your feedback below (I know you have plenty) and let me know the results of your attempt. Until next year.
