How many outside players will the Steelers add to the roster before Week 1?
If you watched the Steelers’ preseason, then you very well might agree that the roster didn’t quite look like a finished product. There isn’t much they can do about the starters at this point though—barring a Brandon Aiyuk trade. We can’t count on that, but the Steelers can address some lingering depth issues on the roster.
Many will cite the need for a wide receiver, but honestly, I’ve grown comfortable with Van Jefferson as the two. They have enough to work with until Roman Wilson is able to hit the ground running as well.
What they can use is another true center with credible experience, because they lack that among reserves. All of their reserve options, in fact, lack experience. The Steelers’ practice squad star, Ryan McCollum, has the most, and that’s saying rather little, never on Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster.
In light of some injuries, the Steelers might want to add to the roster a player (or two) to the secondary, as well. Nobody has really grabbed the starting slot cornerback position by the horns, and that is a concern. Beanie Bishop Jr. produced plenty of smoke, but he may have put out his own fire.
Unless you include DeMarvin Leal, I’m also not convinced they have a fourth outside linebacker worth carrying on the 53. If the Steelers do roster somebody like Kyron Johnson, you are forfeiting it to special teams.
But special teams is a valid concern, as well—and right now, punt gunner is the most significant. Nobody has really done that very well this preseason, with Darius Rush among the chief candidates. I’m not even sure that he makes the team at this point—another reason to grab a cornerback.
I think the Steelers are fine—or at least are what they are—at most positions, including quarterback, running back, tight end, inside linebacker, and perhaps the defensive line. The specialists are locked in, as well, and have been for some time. But there are still some leaks they can stand to plug, and you can be sure they will be looking. That doesn’t mean they will be successful, but they ought to at least try.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is approaching, following another disappointing year that culminated in a first-round playoff loss. The only change-up in the annual formula lately is whether they exit early or miss the playoffs altogether. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January.
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? How will the team continue to address the depth chart?
The Steelers are in training camp and the preseason and the 2024 season is coming into focus. They made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
