Are the Pittsburgh Steelers done signing significant free agents?
The Pittsburgh Steelers have already signed or plan to sign eight outside free agents this offseason, including multiple wide receivers. They’ve also signed two quarterbacks, a punter, and three defenders. They have yet to add an offensive lineman, and yet they have a glaring hole at center in the starting lineup.
Just yesterday, we learned that the Steelers are signing WR Quez Watkins, DL Dean Lowry, and QB Kyle Allen. It is likely that all of these contracts are Veteran Salary Benefit deals or not much more. All three players represent depth signings and shouldn’t play major roles this year.
So the question is, are the Steelers done adding significant contributors via free agency during the compensatory stage? They have signed several starters, namely QB Russell Wilson, ILB Patrick Queen, S DeShon Elliott, and P Cameron Johnston. They still have other areas to address, though, like a starting center or wide receiver.
I note that general manager Omar Khan references the trade option multiple times, something he did again yesterday. This time, he left the trade option on the table regarding center, but we also hear talk of WR Brandon Aiyuk.
The Steelers always lean heavily on the draft, but they usually like to fill as many holes as possible first. Usually they sign a mid-level free agent first, something they did with Mitch Trubisky in 2022 before drafting Kenny Pickett. You don’t have to look hard to find other examples, like Morgan Burnett before drafting Terrell Edmunds.
Are Quez Watkins and Van Jefferson the Steelers’ veteran additions at wide receiver before the draft, though? Are they sitting on Nate Herbig as their “veteran” before hitting the upcoming prospects, despite his lack of center experience?
There is still roughly a month before we get to the draft, so they certainly have plenty of time to make more moves. They can also continue adding veteran after the draft, as they did last year with Kwon Alexander and Markus Golden. But I really wonder if we’re currently done seeing significant veteran free agent signings before the draft. The guys they’re currently signing may not even end up making the 53-man roster.
The Steelers’ 2023 season has been put out of its misery, ending as so many have before in recent years: a disappointing, blowout playoff loss. The only change-up lately is when they miss the playoffs altogether. But with the Buffalo Bills stamping them out in the Wildcard Round, they have another long offseason ahead.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? Will he play just one season in Pittsburgh before moving on, or the Steelers moving on from him? How will the team address the depth chart?
The Steelers are swirling with more questions this offseason than usual, frankly, though the major free agent list is less substantial than usual. It’s just a matter of…what happens next? Where do they go from here? How do they find the way forward?
