The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a very active offseason beginning with them signing multiple players on the first two days of free agency. Something they've never done in franchise history. They signed one of the best available linemen in free agency with James Daniels. They brought in cornerback depth with Levi Wallace and added potentially their starting center with Mason Cole. They also signed Mitchell Trubisky to a very team friendly contract that has a potential out after this season if they want to move on from him.
Pittsburgh Steelers center, Mason Cole (left), and guard James Daniels (right), participage in phase two of the voluntary off-season workout program, Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. | Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
During the draft the Steelers added more potential to their quarterback room with Kenny Pickett. They gave re-tooled a bare wide receiver room with George Pickens, and Calvin Austin III. Both receivers are expected to see significant playing time this season and Pickens may be in line to replace Diontae Johnson if he prices himself out of Pittsburgh next offseason.
But according to ESPN's Bill Barnwell they didn't do a very good job. Barnwell ranked the Steelers as having the 19th worst offseason amongst the NFL's 32 teams. Only 4 AFC teams ranked worse than the Steelers. Las Vegas (28), Houston (25), New England (22), and Tennessee (20).
Barnwell wrote this in his story on ESPN+
What went right: Frantically searching for a quarterback after Ben Roethlisberger's retirement, the Steelers pieced together a plan without getting too desperate. First, they ignored the agent-driven hype about Mitchell Trubisky's market and signed the former Bears starter to a reasonable one-year deal with a base value of $5.3 million. They even got a second year for $8 million, which is about what Trubisky would have expected to see as a high-end backup option in 2023.
Then, facing rumors that as many as five quarterbacks would go in the first round of the draft, the Steelers stayed put and didn't sacrifice picks to move up and get the player they wanted. In the end, every quarterback was still on the board at No. 20, so coach Mike Tomlin and his team got to take the player they wanted in local prospect Kenny Pickett. You could make a case they should have landed a better option, but if they liked Pickett and Trubisky, they got their 2022 quarterbacks on reasonable terms.
Pittsburgh also rebuilt its offensive line with additions on low-cost contracts. I didn't love the re-signing of Chuks Okorafor on what amounts to a one-year, $10.5 million deal, but the Steelers imported a pair of new starters on the interior in James Daniels and Mason Cole. Swapping out Joe Schobert for Myles Jack was also an upgrade, although I'd prefer to see the league's premier linebacker development factory over the past 30 years draft and develop players at the position. Terrell Edmunds hasn't developed into a top-tier safety, but it was good value to bring back the former first-rounder on a one-year deal for just over $2 million.
So while giving the Steelers good marks for everything he mentioned above he also is upset that the Steelers haven't developed any inside linebackers. They certainly have invested in the position. They didn't know Ryan Shazier would get hurt and lose his career. They tried to solve it with Devin Bush but he's still a major question mark. They tried trading for Joe Schobert. Hopefully Myles Jack paired with Brian Flores will help Bush and they'll be back to having a solid core in the middle.
From there he lists what went wrong. And he lists the Steelers as being in a difficult cap situation. He must be confusing last season with now because the Steelers were far from a bad cap situation this offseason. Signing an All-Pro returner to a cheap contract is a bad move? A #2 cornerback to a cheap deal is bad? He's stretching some.
What went wrong: Given a difficult cap situation, the Steelers probably didn't need to go after players such as Gunner Olszewski in free agency, even on low-cost deals. Cornerback, once the deepest position on this defense, has been thinned out enough by disappointments and cap-enforced departures that they needed to add Bills corner Levi Wallace on a two-year, $8 million deal.
What they could have done differently: Trubisky's deal starts at one year and $6.3 million and maxes out at two years and $14.3 million before incentives. Marcus Mariota's deal with the Falcons came in at one year and $6.8 million and maxes out at two years and $18.8 million. Considering their contracts, I would rather have Mariota, whose floor is much higher than Trubisky's.
What's next: With the T.J. Watt deal in the books, it's time for the Steelers to get busy with extensions for Diontae Johnson and Minkah Fitzpatrick, with Fitzpatrick up first. Entering his fifth-year option campaign, he should be able to top the safety market. That's currently Jamal Adams' four-year, $70 million extension with the Seahawks.
Is Marcus Mariota better than Trubisky? Thats a shaky thought to hang your hat on. Both of them are question marks at best with Mariota having better weapons during his time as a starter. And the fact he wasn't stuck in Chicago and he still couldn't figure it out.
Time will tell, but it seems Barnwell should reconsider his arguments against the Steelers offseason. While it hasn't been amazing, its certainly been better than 19th best.
