Pittsburgh Steelers: Growth of rookie class more crucial than ever

With a cloudy Pittsburgh Steelers future lurking, the importance of the rookie class of 2017 learning and growing stands stronger than any before them.

Currently, the Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. Ben Roethlisberger remains in the upper-echelon of quarterbacks in the league, while Le’Veon Bell and the wide receiver duo of Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant can be argued as the best ground/air combination, respectively. Behind a top-tier offensive line upfront, the potential of the Steelers offense has yet to be seen. The “Killer Bs” have everything they need to claim their spot among the best trios in league history.

However, all good things must come to an end. The combination of Ben/Bell/Brown/Bryant have played an astounding 21 snaps cohesively since the 2015 season. The availability, whether left to injury or suspension, has reached the extremes of disappointing and frustrating to say the least. A Super Bowl win could surely ease the conscious of Steelers fans everywhere, yet how can the sun set in paradise if it never truly rose to begin with?

If Pittsburgh’s future can be described as anything, it’d be cloudy. The possibility of needing a new starting quarterback, running back, and No. 2 wide receiver within the next three years continue to grow substantially. Translation: The Steelers may see the draft class of 2017 start sooner than they’d like.

Ideally, teams prefer rookies to develop and perfect their craft before taking over as a full-time starter. Of course, we see rookie success stories (Roethlisberger going 14-0 as a starter his rookie season). Yet the majority of the time, we see inexperienced players thrown into a game and torn to pieces due to lack of preparation, learning, etc. The decision of when to insert said rookies is a tough one to weigh, as no such manual exists on how to handle it.

Since his rookie season in 2004, Roethlisberger has accomplished a career that is worthy of a Canton introduction ceremony and a golden jacket. This past offseason, without any true warning, Big Ben hinted at the possibility of retirement and now won’t commit to anything but the 2017 season. Seeing as though the molding of Landry Jones clearly hasn’t worked, Pittsburgh took Josh Dobbs in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft in preparation of life without Roethlisberger, not knowing when that may be.

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The chronicles of Bell and his desire for hitting the jackpot in terms of new contract money continues as each day passes by. Although it’s rumored he’s still been in contact with teammates, the absence of Bell gives absolute zero confidence he’s eager to stay a Steeler for the remainder of his career. With injury and suspension troubles to his name, Pittsburgh needed an insurance policy after the release of DeAngelo Williams, and grabbed James Conner in the third round of this year’s draft. Whether Conner was brought in as an insurance policy or purpose to tandem with Bell, the Steelers may need Conner to perform both roles.

With Antonio Brown being made the highest paid receiver in the league, the focus now shifts to Martavis Bryant. According to USA Today, Bryant (whose contract originally expired after this season) is officially on the Steelers salary cap through the 2018 season. As Bryant continues to grow on the football field, questions about his off-field issues still gloss over his performances.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, the Steelers’ second round selection, is expected to earn time in the slot this season with expectations of eventually molding into a starter. Bryant’s longevity in Pittsburgh appears more likely than Roethlisberger or Bell. However the same problems that plague Le’Veon reappear for Martavis, and the Steelers added more depth on an already stacked depth chart.

With a real possibility Bell, Bryant and Roethlisberger won’t be on the roster in the near future, time emerges as even more valuable for players like Dobbs, Conner and Smith-Schuster. In a division with the Browns rebuilding for the future, and the Bengals/Ravens adding onto their strong rosters, it’s vital the Steelers are able to win now and in the future as well. Although Pittsburgh aims to keep their current starters around for as long as possible, the Steelers certainly planned for the future with a young but talented trio of their own.

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Will fans see Dobbs hand off to Conner with Smith-Schuster split out wide in the near future? Only time will tell. With question marks regarding commitment all over the offense, the learning opportunities for these young men skyrocket in terms of importance. Should the new trio in town become true students of the game and develop correctly, the future in Pittsburgh won’t seem so dreadful. However, the Steelers plan to reload, not rebuild, and every rep mentally and physically will be the difference between the two.