Since Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin held his end of season press conference, there have been countless takes on what actions the Steelers will take in the post Ben Roethlisberger era.
Tomlin was not exactly explicit in answering questions about the Steelers future, even when it came to the notion of the imminent retirements of Roethlisberger, Keith Butler and Kevin Colbert. In truth, there is no benefit of his being overly transparent, but here are a few takeaways from what was said combined with my interpretations and predictions:
Coaching Staff Changes
Tomlin acknowledged the offense took a step back to a "non-satisfactory state," but expressed optimism in Matt Canada. Despite five consecutive games where the offense failed to score a TD in the first half, an ignominious feat not accomplished since the 1940 Steelers, but all signs seem to point to Canada's return for a second go-round.
Prediction: It might not be a popular take, but Canada will remain to be the Steelers offensive coordinator in 2022. It is the most realistic expectation, given Tomlin's, and the Steelers, philosophy as it pertains to coordinators. Ray Sherman remains the only coordinator on either side of the ball to be fired after one campaign, and even the disastrous results under Joe Walton and Kevin Gilbride had at least a two-year tenure despite lack of support from many of the players. With Butler set to announce his future, Teryl Austin brings five years experience as a defensive coordinator and is the most likely candidate, given the Steelers recent history of promoting from within.
[incontent2]
The Steelers Future QB
A return of Canada likely will have an influence to who the Steelers next starting QB will be and mobility is a key factor in the optimal execution of Canada's RPO scheme. Tomlin indicated Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins will be given an opportunity to compete for the job while adding that, "All options are on the table." This is one time I certainly hope it is not just a "Tomlinism." Colbert has long indicated that he wanted to leave the Steelers when Roethlisberger retired, but also that he wanted to have Roethlisberger's heir in place when he did as well. One can argue that the trade to move up in 2018 in order to acquire Rudolph in the 3rd round was an effort to do so.
Prediction: There will certainly be no shortage of predictions when it comes to the next QB of the Steelers. There will be rumors of Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson from the talking heads, but it's just unrealistic. It goes against the very nature of the franchise to trade away multiple picks for a short term move. Most likely, this team will go into the upcoming NFL Draft with the hopes of landing a Kenny Pickett or Matt Corral (who it is rumored that Colbert is high on). It is more likely the Steelers make a draft day trade to land a QB than bringing in a free agent to take over starting duties. Again, it will sound boring even if a rookie is drafted or a free agent is signed, expect Mason Rudolph to line up under center on opening day. But he could have a quick hook to him, just like in 2019.
[incontent3]
Offensive Line: Center
Tomlin responded to a question about the center position and he felt that J.C. Hassenauer gave the team the best opportunity to win at the end of the season, which it seemed clear that the offensive line improved when he started and that Kendrick Green was attractive to the team in the 2021 Draft because he had "position flexibility." It seemed an odd comment, considering that Hassenauer was available and Green struggled throughout the season. Green played the majority of his collegiate career at Illinois as a guard and only five starts at center, and yet, was immediately inserted as the starting center without much of a chance for competition.
Prediction: Green will not be in consideration as the starter at center next season and will likely be shifted to guard and replace Trai Turner who is an UFA. It was perhaps the team's own stubbornness (investing a 3rd round pick) that refused to adapt to the struggles of Green not only changing positions, but to do so by placing him at the most difficult position on the line that had extremely limited experience and none as a unit.
Summation
There will certainly be a lot of changes given the Steelers have $45M in cap space and a lot of UFA's. The Steelers will weigh their options as this would truly be the first time in the era of the salary cap the Steelers would have (a.) the cap room and (b.) the cash flow to use free agency as a viable tool in building a contender in the post-Roethlisberger era. The question is, how comfortable will they be in implementing a different approach?
What do you think? Will the Steelers be more conservative and remain focused on building through the draft? Or will they play the free agent market aggressively? Leave your thoughts below.
#SteelerNation
