Steelers Insider Harps On Huge Mistake Made By Omar Khan In 2023 Offseason

A lot of good things happened for the Pittsburgh Steelers in General Manager Omar Khan's first full offseason as the leader of the front office. He revamped the linebackers room, brought in veteran leadership and, most importantly, had a heck of an NFL Draft. All of those things played a part in the team finishing with a 10-7 record and a playoff appearance. Although it came with a Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills, Khan bettered the roster overall. The pressure will be on in 2024, but one insider is looking back on a year ago and saying that Khan should have done something differently.

Most of what Khan has done since replacing Kevin Colbert has been commendable, but as The Athletic's Mark Kaboly and Mike DeFabo were discussing their 2023 season grades for players, Kaboly implied that the safety position was an issue for the Steelers. Minkah Fitzpatrick's injuries combined with Damontae Kazee's suspension make it easy to look back and make a very specific move during 2023 free agency.

"Fitzpatrick’s hamstring and knee injuries not only limited his time on the field, but prevented him from being the playmaker that he’s been since he got to Pittsburgh. In hindsight, the Steelers probably made a mistake by not re-signing Terrell Edmunds."

No one could have predicted the inconsistency at the safety position, or any area for that matter, but Kaboly has a point. Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds worked well together and Edmunds would have been able to step up as a leader in the backend of the defense. On top of that, Edmunds has been healthy for pretty much the entirety of his career in the NFL.

Edmunds signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles for just $2 million. The Steelers had the capability to offer him a little bit more, but went in a different direction. He was then traded to the Tennessee Titans. He managed to play in 16 games, continuing his remarkable reputation for availability.

Kaboly gave the safety position overall a grade of a "C" and DeFabo agreed. As solid as the defense was in terms of not allowing too many points (less than 20 points per game on average), there were glaring issues that Khan will be in charge of fixing leading up to and during the 2024 NFL Draft. Looking back and wishing the Steelers offered Edmunds more is a valid thought, but hindsight is 20/20.

It was a rather disappointing season for Fitzpatrick. As Kaboly noted, the midseason signing of Eric Rowe was a big reason why the position was able to stay afloat with injuries and a suspension involved. There was a lot of mix and matching going on, so it was rather impressive that the safeties didn't hurt the defense too much as the season progressed.

Steelers Targeting Edmunds In 2024 Free Agency Would Be Smart Move

Edmunds is going to be a free agent once again and reaching out to sign him to a one, possibly two-year deal should absolutely be considered by Khan and co. Consistency is key with any positional group and Edmunds' familiarity with the system and durability should be desired after an inconsistent season in that area. It will have to be a mutual interest between the two parties, but it sure would have been nice to have the former first-round pick on the roster in 2023.

Do you think it would be a good idea for Khan to reach out to Edmunds in 2024? Let us know in the comments below!

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