The Pittsburgh Steelers hired Andy Weidl away from the Philadelphia Eagles and brought him back to the organization he started with in the NFL. He was mentored under great minds like Bill Nunn and Tom Donahoe. Many assumed his role helping general manager, Omar Khan would come more at draft time, but his influence is already being felt in 2023 free agency.
Photo Credit: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers assistant general manager, Andy Weidl speaks to the media.
If you pay attention to the organization's moves thus far, it's pretty clear that the Pittsburgh native is speaking up and having his voice heard. As the team made moves to beef up the offensive line, it targeted a pair of guys who had Eagles' connections: Nate Herbig and Isaac Seumalo. Herbig is excited to reunite with Weidl after spending the 2022 season as an 11-game starter for the New York Jets.
If nothing else, Herbig's signing provides some solid depth and maybe even competition to push Kevin Dotson. The other big man to keep Kenny Pickett off the turf is Seumalo. The Super Bowl winner was the 10th best guard in the league last year according to Pro Football Focus and should help to beef up the interior of the offensive line.
Photo Credit: Mitchell Leff/ Getty Images
Steelers' new guard Isaac Seumalo is proof of assistant GM Andy Weidl's influence on free agency.
Mirroring Some Of Their Predecessor's Early Steelers Free Agency Moves
Former general manager, Kevin Colbert took over as Director of Pro Football Operations for Pittsburgh in 2000 and the influence during his previous tenure as the Pro Scouting Director for the Detroit Lions was obvious in some of the early moves made under his watch in free agency.
In his second offseason, Colbert made the move to sign Jeff Hartings, who previously played for Detroit. After playing right guard for his whole career with the Lions, he would become an integral piece for the Steelers in the early 2000s. He shifted to the center position and earned a Second-Team All-Pro nod in his first season in Pittsburgh. Hartings started 89 games for the and got a Super Bowl ring in 2005 before knee injuries forced him to retire at the end of 2006.
While it might not be the perfect comparison, Weidl and Khan targeting offensive line improvements in players whom they're familiar with is a strategy they might have been taking out of the Colbert playbook.
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Jeff Hartings turned into a fantastic signing for Kevin Colbert.
One of the other former Lions that Colbert brought in early in his tenure that was able to have a bit of an impact was backup quarterback, Charlie Batch. Batch had some clutch moments as a member of the Steelers and provided some exciting moments filling in for Ben Roethlisberger over the years.
The final name on the list is linebacker, Clint Kriewaldt. He was a Super Bowl winner in 2005, but the inside linebacker started just two games in his five years with the team. He registered one interception and half of a sack. He was, however, an ace on special teams for then-head coach, Bill Cowher.
It shouldn't be surprising that Khan and Weidl have taken some chapters out of the old Colbert playbook given that both have histories with the organization, though Khan's more closely linked to the man he has replaced. Now, can the partnership between Weidl and Khan take the team back to the heights Colbert reached? Only time will tell.
So, Steeler Nation, do you like the Weidl-influenced moves? Do they get the team closer to competing for a Super Bowl? Let us know in the comments or on social media.
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