Kevin Colbert was general manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers for over 20 years. When he announced a few months ago that he would be stepping down, the memories came flooding in. He had helped rebuild the Steelers through the NFL Draft, leading to two Super Bowls in his tenure, as well as a third appearance. Colbert became known as one of the better drafting general managers in football.
Credit: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Some thought Brandon Hunt would be hired as Colbert's successor, but Omar Khan ended up being the ultimate choice. While he's been with the team for awhile, being the general manager is a whole new ballgame. Hired back in May, Khan has been so impressive since coming into his new position.
His first major order of business came in the form of contract extensions. Minkah Fitzpatrick was first in line, and Khan extended him rather quickly. Fitzpatrick became the highest-paid safety in the league, but his $73 million contract wasn't necessarily an overpay. After that extension, controversy began building with star wide out, Diontae Johnson. For awhile, the likelihood of an extension between the two sides seemed unlikely.
Many started to wonder if George Pickens was drafted as Johnson's replacement and beyond 2022, perhaps the team would just ride with Chase Claypool, Calvin Austin III, and Pickens. Well, out of nowhere, the team reached a deal with Johnson. Quite frankly, the deal was pretty team-friendly, especially compared to what wide receivers have gotten for money this off-season, most notably Christian Kirk.
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Next, Khan reached an agreement with Chris Boswell, yet another pricey extension for one of the best kickers in football. Just like that, Khan had completed all three orders of business when it came to contract extensions. Cam Sutton could have been another possible beneficiary, but Khan decided that those three were the most important.
Since then, Khan has been quite active in free agency. He's shown an eagerness to improve the roster and bring in reinforcements when needed. The perfect example of this was the trades for offensive lineman, Jesse Davis and outside linebacker, Malik Reed earlier this week. The depth at those two positions was a glaring weakness as the team looked to finalize its 53-man roster on Tuesday.
As a result, Khan wasted no time. While Davis may not be the best possible option along the offensive line, he certainly sends a message to the starters on that unit. Reed will be able to step in and contribute immediately, as he'll easily be the team's No. 3 outside linebacker behind the starters, TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith. Now, if one of those two goes down with an injury, there shouldn't be too much of a drop-off, especially compared to if Derrek Tuszka was the primary backup.
Credit: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
As is typically the case with a new GM, Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl have been ultra aggressive since taking over in Pittsburgh. They haven't been afraid to pursue upgrades when the opportunity presents itself. It's a fresh switch-up from how Colbert ran things, as he ran things in more of a traditional way. Either way, the Steelers should be in good hands for awhile under Khan and Weidl.
How do you think Khan has done so far? Do you like his aggressive approach, a bit different than how Colbert did things? Share your thoughts on the Steelers GM in the comment section below!
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