The Pittsburgh Steelers are most of the way through the first part of the offseason leading to the draft. Before we get there, we’re going to take stock of how the roster has evolved over the past several weeks. Position by position, we’ll break down who’s coming and going and what’s next, for those rookies and those already here.
Position: Safety
Total Positional Figure: 8
Offseason Additions: 4
Offseason Deletions: 3
Players Retained:
Minkah Fitzpatrick: While he managed an interception last season, even Fitzpatrick expressed surprise when he made the Pro Bowl. The former perennial Steelers first-team All-Pro is coming off two lackluster seasons. Can he return to his difference-making ways before it’s too late?
DeShon Elliott: A budget free agent last year, Elliott proved more than worth the money. The Steelers made a shrewd investment here, and should at least consider extending him.
Miles Killebrew: Killebrew continues to serve as the Steelers’ special teams captain. While he didn’t make as many splash plays this past season, he is the heart and the nucleus of what they do in that phase of the game.
Ryan Watts: A sixth-round pick, Watts spent his rookie season on IR after suffering a significant neck injury. It appears that he only in recent months underwent surgery, though there are indications he is on the mend. Will the Steelers have him available on the field anytime soon though?
Players Added:
Juan Thornhill: Parting with Damontae Kazee, they replaced him with another experienced veteran safety in Juan Thornhill. Based on HC Mike Tomlin’s comments, they do see a potentially regular defensive role for him. They have never shied away from three-safety looks before, so why start now?
Joshua Bledsoe: A 2021 sixth-round pick, Bledsoe only has 22 career snaps under his belt, none last season. Having spent his whole career with the Patriots, he signed with the Steelers in January as a Futures player.
D’Shawn Jamison: Jamison has 107 defensive snaps and 155 special teams snaps in his career, all in 2023 with the Panthers over 15 games. At 5-9, 186 pounds, he is undersized.
Players Deleted:
Damontae Kazee: After three seasons, the Steelers decided to go in another direction than with Damontae Kazee. Though he was popular in the locker room, he fell somewhat out of favor. Last offseason, they signed DeShon Elliott, for example. Kazee’s risk-taking on defense frequently produced mixed results and doesn’t fit the team’s philosophy. Not for a backup, anyway.
Notes And Draft Outlook:
The signing of Thornhill gives the Steelers some cover, but safety is still very much a position they could address in the draft. One wild card is Ryan Watts, for whom I sense the team had high hopes. His first step, of course, is recovering fully from his neck injury. Only then can he start worrying about what he’s doing on the field. But could they also be considering life after Minkah Fitzpatrick? After this season, it would become economically palatable to cut ties with him if they so chose.
