The Pittsburgh Steelers have their work cut out for them this offseason as they try to build a contending roster. No longer in a “reloading” stage, they are now a team looking for answers rather than filling gaps. After another disappointing season in 2023, we look back on the roster as we move into the next phase.
Position: Defensive End
Total Positional Figure: 7
Additions: 1
Deletions: 0
Players Retained:
Under Contract:
Cameron Heyward: The Steelers talk as though they intend to bring Heyward back for 2024, which is not surprising. He is coming off an injury-plagued season that doesn’t represent him at his best. At his age, however, many question how good his best is and how that relates to salary. Before last season, he made the Pro Bowl six straight years.
Larry Ogunjobi: Ogunjobi is entering the second of a three-year contract paying him on average about $10 million per season. He is not producing at a level indicative of that compensation, but they don’t have any real alternatives. Their recent drafting here hasn’t worked out as well as hoped, so they are likely “stuck” with merely average play.
Isaiahh Loudermilk: Already heading into his fourth season, Loudermilk’s career has gone up and down, such as it is. At times earning rotational duty, he saw snaps ahead of DeMarvin Leal last season. However, one could easily argue that says more about Leal than Loudermilk. The latter is now in a contract year and must prove himself and earn his spot on the team.
DeMarvin Leal: Two years removed from a third-round selection, Leal spent time last season as a healthy scratch. Coaches basically said outright they’re not getting enough out of him. He knows he is facing a critical offseason that sets the tone for his future in the NFL.
Pending Free Agents:
Armon Watts: A low-profile free agent signing last year, Watts played pretty well when on the field. He increasingly earned playing time over the course of the 2023 season and should earn a new contract. They could offer him a small multi-year deal to shore up the depth.
Renell Wren: Wren spent last season on the Reserve/Injured List following an early offseason injury. I have no idea if the team is interested in re-signing him. If they are, Wren won’t earn any more than a Veteran Salary Benefit deal with no signing bonus.
Additions:
Jacob Slade: I’m not entirely sure where to put Slade, a 2023 rookie free agent. The Steelers only signed him to a Reserve/Future contract at the end of the season. He might be too small to play inside, though, so I opted to list him with the defensive ends.
Deletions: N/A
Offseason Strategy:
The Steelers could surprise us and release Larry Ogunjobi, but I’m not betting any money on that happening. Assuming they don’t, the biggest question is how much they can knock off Heyward’s cap hit. I think it’s clear by now they intend to bring him back. Do they ask him to take less money? We don’t know. But he’s not going anywhere.
I don’t see a big move in free agency, but they could easily address the position as early as the first round of the draft. They know they have to start building for the future. Heyward, Ogunjobi or both maybe one year from retiring or otherwise departing. They need somebody to develop into a starter sooner rather than later, and they don’t see Leal as that guy.
