It’s been a rather wild, entertaining offseason to date for the Pittsburgh Steelers under GM Omar Khan. There’s been quite a few moves that have helped transform the roster on both sides of the football, which has generated quite a bit of buzz surrounding the Steelers.
From the additions of quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, linebacker Patrick Queen and safety DeShon Elliott, to the trades of quarterback Kenny Pickett and wide receiver Diontae Johnson, the Steelers have been quite busy.
But more work remains, especially on offense as holes at center and wide receiver remain.
Fortunately for Khan, there are some talented players available at the positions, which could see the GM strike late in free agency ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, were he to choose to.
Pro Football Focus sees a pair of veteran pieces on the offensive side of the football that are best fits for the Steelers following the first wave of free agency.
Those fits? Wide receiver Tyler Boyd and center Connor Williams.
In a piece from PFF’s Brad Spielberger Thursday, Boyd and Williams had the Steelers highlighted as their best landing spots.
Williams, who is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in late December while a member of the Miami Dolphins, is the No. 4 remaining free agency, according to PFF. With the Steelers having a glaring hole at center and a potentially depleted market for Williams, the Steelers would be a good landing spot for the veteran in Spielberger’s eyes.
“Williams started his career with the Dallas Cowboys at left guard and blossomed in Miami at center, thriving as a run blocker in Mike McDaniel’s zone-blocking scheme, where he was able to quickly get to the second level and lead the way,” Spielberger writes. “While he doesn’t have the world’s strongest anchor in a phone booth, his fast first step off the line enables him to seal off defenders on the backside of runs by getting in position. Williams suffered a torn ACL in Week 14, which has impacted his market.”
Coming out of the University of Texas in the 2018 NFL Draft, Williams was a second-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys and went from playing left tackle in college to sliding inside to guard. He had a rocky tenure in Dallas, putting together some up-and-down seasons, but that all changed after he signed with the Miami Dolphins ahead of the 2022 season.
In the move to Miami, Williams switched to center and took off, grading out at a then-career best 78.2 overall in 2022 from PFF while playing more than 1,000 snaps at center. He was even better in 2023 grading out at an 86.5 overall from PFF before suffering the torn ACL.
Entering free agency, Williams was projected to land a three-year, $22.75 million deal on the open market. But in late March, he remains unsigned, likely due to the uncertainty in his recovery from the torn ACL, and when he’ll be able to get back onto the field.
Williams tuns 27 in May and is coming off of two strong years in Miami. He’d be a nice fit in new Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme due to his athleticism and abilities on the move as a run blocker, but the recovery from the knee injury and a potentially high price tag might not work for the Steelers.
Outside of Williams and the center position, receiver remains a major need for the Steelers after trading Johnson. Though the Steelers have signed Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins this offseason to address depth at the position, the need for a clear No. 2 or No. 3 behind George Pickens is needed.
Boyd could certainly fill that role and has been a player tied to the Steelers quite often this offseason.
Boyd is ranked as the No. 11 remaining free agency from PFF.
“Boyd is a big slot receiver with solid blocking chops in the run game. He rarely ever drops a target and does well to sit in soft spots of zones on key passing downs,” Spielberger writes. “However, Boyd posted several career-low marks in 2023, and with so many big financial decisions facing Cincinnati, the Bengals may not be willing to offer him as much as other teams looking to upgrade their unit over the middle.”
Boyd is a steady presence, one who consistently puts up solid numbers like Spielberger pointed out. But it is worth noting he’s coming off a down season in which he posted a number of career lows. Plus, he’s on the wrong side of 30 years old now.
Though there have been reports this offseason that Boyd wants to return home and that there is mutual interest between him and the Steelers, nothing has happened yet. Thar could be due to the financial ask from Boyd’s camp and the actual fit within the Steelers’ offense under Smith.
It is a popular pairing though, at least from those playing matchmaker in free agency like Spielberger. It would be quite the story with the local product finally coming home, too.
But right now, it appears that the Steelers are going to address the receiver position early in the 2024 NFL Draft, taking the more affordable, controlled route at the position, rather than spending big bucks on a player like Boyd. Things could change between now and the 2024 NFL Draft though.
If Khan wants to continue to shore up the roster, he has options out there.
