2022- No need for overhaul

Curious as to why it hasn't come up more...
2022 the Steelers have one of the best cap friendly years in memory. We have some key core positions locked up. We know some guys tying up some money aren't coming back. We have a better than average wide receiver group that has some tradability without having to give up our best receivers.
2021 is what it is, and as of this writing we'll probably be watching the playoffs from our living rooms.
That all said, we have a great chance here to get some great FA's (Not second teamers from other teams either or liability cuts), money to pay our own to keep, and (If Colbert don't mess it up) a chance to get a good draft (To include a QB). I know QB is an essential, but with the right moves I think we can afford to either land a proven veteran FA QB; or after getting the right people have Rudolph not have to win games for us, but to manage the team for a year until our rookie QB fits in. A lot of people are saying how much trouble we're in but we're probably only 4-5 players away from having a competitive team next year (again, if it's done right for a change) so I don't see the MASSIVE REBUILD a lot of people in and out of the media are talking about.
Believe me, like others I have been the Steelers worst critic about their choices over the last several years.
I remember when we were so tight against the cap our jock straps were too tight.
Am I missing something here about our prospects next year?
Honest feedback is welcome!

 

No. 1: I will be watching the Steelers in Playoffs in my living room.

I'm not sure Rudolph has the ability to manage games with the O-line we have now. Now he'd need a halfway decent O-line, Najee to be injury free (so excited to see this guy with a better O-line) so he could hand off a hell of a lot which is what the Steelers would do and a bad ass defense.

I can't see the Steelers bringing in a FA QB. I think there is a decent chance the Steelers do what you say at the QB position. We just need to really get lucky in our next QB selection. I'd love to have an above average QB in Najee's early years.

 

Ill be interested to see which direction the Steelers go in the draft. I am partially on board with your perspective, I don't see the reload taking more than next year. By the 2023 season I see the Steelers as contenders again, in the North and AFC in general. The Steelers need a good 5-6 pieces in my opinion. A couple OL, couple DL, linebacker, QB and corner, also more solid depth. Too much to be done in one off-season.

Here is to hoping we get to continue the season beyond tomorrow!! Go Steelers

 

There is absolutely no need to blow everything up but they do have a lot of holes to fill. They need a good draft with at least two players that can come in and start.

They have some money to play with for the first time that I can remember. Some of the holes will need to be addressed in free agency. Whatever moves they make need to pan out, whether that’s bringing some of their own guys back or bringing in new faces, or a bit of both.

It goes without saying that they need to sort out the QB position but fixing the OLine has to be an absolute priority as well

 

QB- we draft one, we pickup one.

OL- we have moore,dotson, green, Leglue, haeg, banner. pick up a free agent tackle and draft one.

ILB- bush, schobert, johnson, UG3, draft one

DL- alualu returns, heyward, wormley, loudermilk, buggs, davis, mondeaux. bring adams back.

WR- claypool, johnson, cody white, bring juju back and rayray.

OLB watt, highsmith, tuszka. bring back taco or simon, or draft one.

CB- sutton, pierre, layne, bring back witherspoon. maybe a free agent.

S- minkah, stiner, norwood, bring back killebrew. maybe draft on or a free agent.

TE- muth, gentry, rader. bring back sternberger.

RB- najee, mcfarland, snell.

P- waitman, harvin.

K- boz

LS- need one.

5 drat picks. 4 free agents besides the ones we bring back. it is doable.

 

" A good 5-6 pieces...Couple OL, DL, LB, QB and CB " not trying to be a smart Ass, but that's a LOT...Any team that added all that would probably be good!

 

No mention of Tuiit, You think he's done? .......I do

 

not sure we need DL right now except our own in adams. the rest are returning.

 

even without tuitt, we should be good if adams re-signs. loudermilk is playing well.

 

With regard to our OL needs, we’ve got to find a true center.

 

Trust me, I'm well aware that's A LOT! I still don't see a reason why getting those 5-6 pieces can't be done in 2 FA periods and 2 drafts? I said i thought they can be contenders again heading into the 2023 season. Very Doable

 

Every team will have strengths and weaknesses. You’ve just got to make sure that the strength of your strengths outweigh the weakness of your weaknesses

 

Do we need to blow it up?.... Of course not..
But we do need to upgrade some areas, and it will take 2 yrs to do so..... If the F.O. is using their heads..

QB:. Pick up FA placeholder for a yr... Look to the franchise guy in 2023

O-line:. Draft a C and move green to G.... OT will be found in 2023

D-line:. Get a game changer in the middle... I like Adams, but we can't just hang out hats on him full time

Lber:. Gotta get someone on the inside in the draft and let's see what Buddy Johnson can do

CB:. Draft a game changer... Re-sign Witherspoon... Continue to work on Pierre

S:. Lock up Minkah long term.... SS will be found in 2023

 

If we pick up a quarterback I hope it’s not because he’s laying face down on the ground.

 

OP says our WR corps is above average. I know that most Steeler fans think that, but why?

I think they have potential, but when it comes to actual, they're pretty underwhelming overall.

DJ: A very good solid #1, but not elite.
Claypool: Talented, but very average (at best) as a #2. Obviously, he's nowhere near the top #2's in the league, like an Thielen, Amari Cooper, Jaelyn Waddle, Tee Higgins, etc and 1 TD doesn't sound to me like even an average #2 wideout.
RayRay: Below average as a #3/slot receiver.
JJ: Can't count on him a) coming back and b) staying healthy
Washington: Who?

I get that they'd look better with an improved QB and OL play, but so would our RB and TE and yet those two positions still managed to produce. This WR corps just hasn't lived up. Yet.

The WR corps isn't a glaring weakness, but neither is it a strength.

 

The defense is the worst I have ever seen in Pitt.. .

I've seen better offensive play calling by 10yr old kids playing Madden.. Teams normality script the first 15 plays... the Steeles might not run 15 plays on the first half

Yet even with all that... they are basically 1 win from controlling their own destiny into the playoffs
Even playing what was called the hardest schedule in the league

We all see how bad this team is compared to what we want to see on the field. I felt they would play much brut than they did... and I predicted 10-7. So they played historically bad and are still only half a game off my prediction.

So it really is this IMO

Either Ben willed this team to more Ws than we realize... or maybe Tomlin is a better coach than the fans give him credit...or the Steelers are not a bad as we think.

Best team in the AFCN will have no nor than 11 wins.. the horrible Steelers should basically have 10

Best record in the AFC will have 12 wins.. the historically bad Steelers 10

So they will add to the oline next year.... and we will see if Ben was the difference between 7-10 or 10-7

I saw a post in the Qb threads that said is Rodgers big money worth only 1 or 2 wins? Well that is the difference between a first round bye and needing the Jags to win a game ... so maybe


HACK

 

It is doubtful this team will be competitive until Tomlin is gone. I don't see how the Steelers will magically rebound without the second best QB in their history. Look at the playoff wins in the last 11 seasons:

- The Bengals meltdown. 16-15 Bengals with 1st and 10 on the Steelers 26 with 1:36 left. AJ McCarron still has only 2 career wins. Great game by Shazier for forcing 2 fumbles- so clutch.

- Adam Gase's Dolphins somehow went 10-6 in between 6-10 seasons. They'd been outscored by 17 points even in their 10-6 season. It wasn't a good team and on top of that were playing a backup QB like the Bengals had.

- Steelers beat Chiefs in Arrowhead. Solid win over a good Chiefs team.

How competitive was that really? Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt are the only players on the Steelers who have won a playoff game with the Steelers now that Ben is retiring.

I don't agree that replacing the OC or DC will make a difference. Was Arians really the problem? He has won Coach of the Year twice and won the Super Bowl since being "retired" by the Tomlin regime.

The DC would have been replaced if he wasn't just a proxy for Tomlin. Steelers are averaging 41 points surrendered during their last 3 playoff games (obviously some to turnovers the D wasn't on the field for). That's not good.

Finding a QB better than Ben isn't realistic immediately. It will be a number of years before we get a franchise QB as good or better than Ben. I honestly would not care if this was a tough football team like the Cowher era of marginal QBs. It's really hard to watch when 200 yards of rushing are surrendered multiple times a year.

I don't think the question is when will the Steelers be competitive but how watchable they will be going forward.

 

The Steelers only have 2 wins over winning teams (Bills and Titans) so the strength of schedule doesn't apply. Steelers are 2-6 against teams that have a winning record after week 17.

The good news is accusations of playing down to competition are dwindling.

 

Steelers WR corps looked above average based on depth. Diontae Johnson should be a Pro Bowler (probably will be an alternate). Juju is another receiver who has gone over 100 catches. So the Steelers have two receivers who have 100 catches at least once. Chase had a solid rookie season with 11 TDs and not everyone hates him yet. After that Ray Ray has made some good plays from the slot.

The reality is this receiving corps in terms of talent is above average but is underachieving because of drops and mental errors at key moments. The offense going horizontal leaves very little space on the field and benefits defenders in coverage.

The Steelers receiving corps isn't top 5 but it is above average, young, cheap and almost certain to improve.

And Freirmuth and Ebron as pass catching TEs also...

 

Agree. This goes back to the many seasons where we had a tremendous amount of talent on the field and couldn't do much even then. So, your right about who is developing and game planning and preparing the players as well as those players themselves. Having one of the fastest cars in a race and a driver who never changes anything, that all know how to beat, gets you around .500 or one and done. JMO>

 

Maybe, but could it be that some teams are playing down to us? JMO>

 

We've argued this before, but here's my rebuttal:

a) Claypool - "not everyone hates him yet". Damning with faint praise. Let's be generous and avg his TD receptions for his two season, that's 5/season. (two of his 11 last year were rushing) That's avg at best for a #2. And the trajectory isn't good.
b) Juju isn't a given to be on this team and he's been injured two seasons in a row now. Before getting hurt this year he was on pace for a 50 catch season. Marginal.
c) Ray-Ray is barely above replacement level. Guys like him are found all over the league.
d) "Certain to improve"? Debatable, but may be true cause Claypool can't go anywhere but up. DJ could improve. Ray-Ray is who he is. JuJu, if he comes back, will help, but it's hard to see him being high impact.
e) I said WR corps, thus did not include TE, but I'll play along. Freirmuth is good and upcoming, but you blew your argument mentioning Ebron. He's absolutely useless. 12 catches for 84 yds.

It's not like we don't throw the ball either. The Steelers are behind only the Chiefs and Buccaneers in pass attempts this season.

Look, we're like every fanbase. We have a tendency to overvalue our talent.

 

2-6 against teams with a winning record

The browns and Ravens would both have a winning record if not for losing to the Steelers...

The Bills are 2-5
The Pats are 3-4
The Colts are 3-6

Can only play who is on the schedule

HACK