Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 Offseason moves that should be made in 2020
The Pittsburgh Steelers had a rollercoaster year but, with a few offseason moves, they can find themselves back in the mix at the top of the AFC.
To say the Pittsburgh Steelers had a chaotic year would be an understatement. In the last 365 days, Pittsburgh traded All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown after two months of falling out with head coach Mike Tomlin, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the front office.
They then watched star running back Le’Veon Bell leave for New York in free agency this past summer after sitting out the entirety of the 2018 NFL season amidst a contract dispute with the Steelers. And to top it all of, the Steelers lost future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a season-ending elbow injury in Week 2.
While the Steel City was full of chaos, there were some diamonds in the rough. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was an All-Pro in 2019 following a trade that brought him over from Miami and gave Pittsburgh’s defense new life. And linebacker T.J. Watt emerged as one of the game’s best edge rushers and a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
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The defense in Pittsburgh was as good as it has been in nearly a decade, but the offense struggled immensely, ranking 30th in total yards per game. While the offensive struggles can be chalked up to the loss of Ben Roethlisberger, there are many aspects of the team that just having Big Ben back won’t fix.
If Pittsburgh can check these boxes on their offseason to-do list, they can find themselves back in the mix atop the AFC and in the Super Bowl conversation.
5. Re-sign Bud Dupree
There were several questions surrounding former first-round pick Bud Dupree entering the 2019 season, especially with it being the final year under his rookie contract. Many fans speculated that Dupree would be another first-round bust like Jarvis Jones before him.
Instead, he had a career-year with 11.5 sacks and was a vital part of the Steelers dominant pass rush. Along with Watt, the duo accounted for the second-most combined sacks in a season in team history (26), finishing just 1.5 sacks behind James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley‘s 27.5 in 2008.
Along with the return of Stephon Tuitt from injury, bringing back Dupree would keep together one of the best front sevens in the NFL.
4. Bring in another tight end
Vance McDonald is a solid starter, but Nick Vannett is a free-agent this offseason and Pittsburgh should go out and get someone who can be option 1B rather than option No. 2.
Whether it be through the draft by selecting a guy like Bryce Hopkins from Purdue or Thaddeus Moss from LSU, or through free agency by signing Eric Ebron or Tyler Eifert, the Steelers need another tight end.
3. Land a quality backup quarterback
The Steelers front office has expressed their belief in Mason Rudolph as the backup heading into 2020. That said, having Roethlisberger healthy for 16 games is never guaranteed, especially now considering his age and his elbow injury.
The Steelers offense was among the worst in the league in 2019 in large part due to whom they had under center. No disrespect to Rudolph and Duck Hodges but a more capable, experienced backup would ease the nerves of Steelers fans.
Looking toward Marcus Mariota or Case Keenum to back up Big Ben would give them a more stable and trustworthy insurance policy.
2. Develop Diontae Johnson
Coming out of Toledo, Diontae Johnson had a solid rookie campaign, despite the sub-par talent at quarterback. He led all rookies in receptions and was top 10 in both yards and touchdowns among rookies. Johnson also showed flash in the return game, returning a punt for a touchdown against Arizona late in the year.
Establishing Johnson as a threat in the slot will take the pressure off JuJu Smith-Schuster and open up both the run and pass game. It seems that, once again, the Steelers have found a gem at receiver through the draft.
1. Trade James Conner
While it may seem crazy, is it? James Conner dealt with injuries all of last season and rookie Benny Snell Jr. did just fine in his absence. The Steelers don’t have a pick in the first or third round due to trades to Miami and Denver, respectively.
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Conner would bring in a third-rounder and later round picks from a team that is in the market for a running back. Getting draft compensation for Conner and drafting a guy like J.K. Dobbins, who can be Le’Veon Bell-esque in terms of his ability to catch passes out of the backfield, would be a net gain for Pittsburgh.