Mike Tomlin’s club won 13 games this past season but failed to advance in the playoffs. What issues do the Pittsburgh Steelers still need to address?
Despite the fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a 13-3 showing and a fourth straight playoff appearance, Mike Tomlin’s squad seems to have more question marks than answers. A 45-42 home loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Divisional Playoffs was a bitter end to a season in which the Black and Gold appeared to be primed for a deeper run in the postseason.
As usual, the team was somewhat quiet during free agency. But general manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin have new pieces in inside linebacker Jon Bostic and safeties Morgan Burnett and Nat Berhe.
So what else needs to be addressed in the coming months?
More help at linebacker
The Steelers have made a habit of using their first overall pick on defense as of late – especially when it comes to the linebacking corps. It dates back to 2013, when they grabbed disappointing pass-rusher Jarvis Jones and one year later added Ryan Shazier. The club also went looking for more outside help in both 2015 (Bud Dupree) and 2017 (T.J. Watt).
Of course, Shazier will not play football this upcoming season and his future remains a question mark. The Steelers added Bostic in free agency but he’s a run-stopper with questionable coverage skills. The inside spot next to Vince Williams must still be addressed.
Insurance at running back
Highly-productive Le’Veon Bell comes off a monster year in which he touched the ball 406 times and finished second in the NFL with 1,946 yards from scrimmage. He received the franchise tag from the team for the second straight year and at the moment, the team has chosen to end negotiations on a long-terms deal until after the draft.
As for depth, there’s second-year pro James Conner, Fitzgerald Toussaint and recently re-signed Stevan Ridley. But if Bell’s future past 2018 is not with the Steelers, might the organization look high in the draft for his replacement?
Depth on offensive line
No team can have enough quality players in the trenches. Pittsburgh features one of the best offensive fronts in the league, led by Pro Bowlers in left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, right guard David DeCastro and center Maurkice Pouncey. The top reserves are Jerald Hawkins and B.J. Finney but the team lost valuable fill-in Chris Hubbard to the Cleveland Browns this offseason.
Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: 10 Big trades create chaos
Conclusion
This remains one of the most talented teams in the National Football League. There’s been a few free-agent departures and the offense is now being led by new coordinator Randy Fichtner. And the Pittsburgh Steelers cleaned house in the secondary this offseason with the releases of safeties Mike Mitchell and Robert Golden and cornerback William Gay. This is an important draft for Tomlin’s club but the veteran additions were all solid choices.