Category: 2024 Steelers offseason

Steelers running out of free agent options at wide receiver

Corey Davis and Michael Thomas are the best available options for the Steelers in free agency.

While watching how the Pittsburgh Steelers have handled (mishandled?) the wide receiver position this offseason, we have to wonder what trick the coaches and front office have up their sleeve for the upcoming season.

Nevertheless, we continue to hope Pittsburgh isn’t satisfied with their current crop of receivers. That could mean the Steelers are still in the market to trade for a player like Brandon Aiyuk or the like. But if not, free agency is still out there. That’s not to say things are great, quite the contrary. The free-agent market is quickly drying up with few options left.

The best player still on the market is former New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas. Injuries have limited him over the past several years but when healthy he’s better than anyone Pittsburgh already has on the roster to line up with George Pickens and should come cheap.

It’s hard to believe the player we saw catch only 95 passes over the last four seasons combined is the guy who caught 149 alone the season before. If the Steelers could count on Thomas for between 45 and 55 catches, he’s worth the add.

Another name to keep in mind is Corey Davis. Davis was the No. 5 overall pick back in 2017. Davis was on the Tennessee Titans in 2020 when now-Steelers OC Arthur Smith ran the offense. He had career highest in receptions (65), receiving yards (984) and receiving touchdowns (5) that season. He’s our sleeper pick to join the team during training camp even over Thomas after taking the 2023 season off.

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Steelers LB Patrick Queen checks in on ESPN’s linebacker rankings

Patrick Queen was a huge signing for the Steelers on defense this offseason.

This offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers made several big signings this offseason including quarterback Russell Wilson. But on defense, the big move was to sign former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen to a hue free-agent contract.

Pittsburgh needed help at inside linebacker after not re-signing Kwon Alexander and the ongoing injury concerns with Cole Holcomb. Queen should give the Steelers the best playmaker in the middle they have had since Ryan Shazier.

ESPN polled NFL executives, coaches and scouts to rank the 10 off-ball linebackers in the NFL and Queen made the cut. He checked in at No.4 trailing only Fred Warner, Roquan Smith and Matt Milano.

Here’s what ESPN had to say about Queen:

Pittsburgh’s linebacker tradition is rich, but the team rarely spends top dollar in free agency.
By giving Queen a three-year, $41 million deal in March, Pittsburgh effectively plucked a star out of rival Baltimore while reimagining the middle of its defense.
Queen did a little bit of everything for Baltimore, racking up 133 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 6 pass deflections.
“Closing speed and blitzing ability,” an AFC executive said. “He’ll make a big impact on Pittsburgh’s defense.”
A few veteran NFL coaches said that while Queen is a physical run player and solid in man coverage, he misses plays he should make in “match” zone coverage.
“Lack of instincts might show now that he’s not playing next to Superman [Roquan Smith],” an NFC exec said.

Any concerns with Queen missing Smith should be put aside with the smart, veteran players he is surrounded with in Pittsburgh. Linebacker Elandon Roberts and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick are excellent leaders in the back seven and will help maximize Queen’s potential.

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Steelers search for wide receiver ‘on hold’ as Mike Tomlin minds his business

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin hinted that nothing will happen in these final weeks with a potentially available wide receiver.

We’re three weeks into the Pittsburgh Steelers’ much-needed breather, with minicamps ending on June 13 and training camp reconvening on July 24.

The stint is the league’s only real rest and relaxation before preparation continues for the 2024 NFL season (kicking off Sept. 5), so all is generally quiet on the western front.

As minicamp drew to a close, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters he’d spend his time off  “minding my business.” That tells you all you need to know.

Tomlin’s words hinted that nothing will publicly happen in these final weeks before things ramp up, putting Pittsburgh’s quest (if there even is one) for wide receiver depth on hold.

Steelers fans and most media seem to agree that the team lacks a real defensive threat in their current wide receiver corp; no thanks to jettisoning Diontae Johnson without an iron-clad plan.

Rumblings of links to Brandon Aiyuk, Courtland Sutton, D.K. Metcalf and the like have yielded bupkis. As it stands now, it’s George Pickens, then everyone else. A bevy of veteran journeymen — and rookie Roman Wilson — round out the depth chart.

In a couple of weeks, we’ll see whether Pittsburgh still intends to add a big-name receiver or if they’re intent on sticking with what they have.

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Steelers a distant third for Niners WR Brandon Aiyuk

Former Steeler Ryan Clark got Brandon Aiyuk’s top three teams and Pittsburgh was No. 3.

The glimmer of hope that was San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk going to the Pittsburgh Steelers is starting to lose its light. Aiyuk went on The Pivot podcast with former Steelers safety Ryan Clark and Clark basically begged Aiyuk to come to Pittsburgh.

At this point, Aiyuk broke the hearts of all of Steeler Nation when he gave his top three uniforms he would be in this season and the Steelers were No. 3

“Probably a Niners uniform,” Aiyuk said. “If not a Niners uniform, then probably a Washington Commander uniform. If not a Washington uniform, then probably a Steelers uniform.”

Aiyuk had a good meeting with the Niners this week which is probably why he keeps them at the top. As for the Washington Commanders, it’s no secret Aiyuk is best friends with Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels so it makes sense that’s an ideal destination for him.

But the Niners may decide the best offer wins if they can’t get a contract done and that might be the in Pittsburgh.

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Steelers earn B grade from ESPN for offseason

The Steelers made a lot of great moves this offseason but trading away Diontae Johnson wasn’t one of them according to ESPN.

The 2024 offseason was a busy one for the Pittsburgh Steelers. General manager Omar Khan made multiple huge moves, most of which were universally praised. This includes the addition of quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, linebacker Patrick Queen and rookie offensive linemen Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier.

However, ESPN wasn’t quite as optimistic about the Steelers offseason. They handed out grades for every NFL franchise based on their offseason additions and losses and for the Steelers, they scored them a B.

The big move they did not like was the Steelers decision to trade away wide receiver Diontae Johnson for cornerback Donte Jackson. Here’s what they had to say about the move:

Trading Johnson for Jackson was an error in my view. While Jackson helps fill the void at corner opposite Joey Porter Jr., Johnson has much higher upside considering the incredible open scores (via our receiver tracking metrics) he has posted in his career — three 90-plus scores in five seasons.
The Steelers also signed linebacker Patrick Queen to a three-year, $41 million contract. Though I didn’t love the move given Queen’s risks — he plays a non-premium position and thrived only once he played next to Roquan Smith — this was a cheaper deal than I expected him to get.

We definitely agree the trading of Johnson was the worst move of the offseason unless you count the non-move of failing to replace him as worse. Keeping Johnson wasn’t as simple as it sounds. He showed a serious lack of commitment to the team last season and head coach Mike Tomlin always says he wants volunteers, not hostages.

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TD Wire ranks Steelers LB Patrick Queen among best linebackers in NFL

The Steelers signed Patrick Queen in the offseason to bolster the middle fo the defense.

One of the big splash moves of the offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers was the addition of linebacker Patrick Queen from the Baltimore Ravens in free agency. The addition of Queen gives the Steelers as good of a playmaker as this team has had at inside linebacker since Ryan Shazier.

Our friends over at TD Wire ranked the 11 best inside linebackers in the NFL and Queen checked in at No. 11. We might be a little biased but this number feels a little low for how he played last season and we are banking on him moving way up this season in the Steelers defensive system.

Here’s what they had to say about Queen:

Patrick Queen was yet another Baltimore defender who put together a career year under 2023 defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, and the 2020 28th overall pick out of LSU cashed in big with a new three-year, $41 million contract with $13,840 million guaranteed to play for his former AFC North rival. The Steelers have been looking in vain for functionally athletic linebackers since Ryan Shazier’s retirement, and based on his 2023 tape, Queen might finally be That Guy.

Queen finished 2023 with 105 solo tackles, four sacks and nine tackles for loss. Queen and rookie Payton Wilson has a chance to be a special tandem on the inside.

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NFL.com names Steelers one of the most improved rosters in league

The Steelers have rebuilt the quarterback and offensive line rooms this offseason.

For the second straight offseason, Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan has worked hard to keep building the roster and help right the wrong of former general manager Kevin Colbert. NFL.com recognized this when they listed the Steelers as one of the most improved rosters in the NFL for 2024.

The Steelers are a no-brainer for a list like this for one obvious reason: They finally have some decent options at quarterback. They’ve been searching for that since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season and it’s cost them. Few teams have been harder to watch on offense lately than the Steelers. They at least have a chance to be more functional with the additions of Justin Fields and Russell Wilson to the roster. Both of those quarterbacks are best suited to operate with strong running games and it looks like Pittsburgh has every intention of returning to that identity. The Steelers used their first two picks of the draft on offensive linemen — offensive tackle Troy Fautanu and center Zach Frazier — and even wide receiver Roman Wilson, a third-rounder, is as talented at blocking as he is at catching passes. 

The Steelers also added new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith which is the most underrated move of the offseason. Cutting ties with Matt Canada was the right move even if it came too late and paired with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields should make for a much improved Steelers offense.

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Steelers players are loving ‘unreal’ Arthur Smith offense

The Arthur Smith offense is already impressing the Steelers.

Last season was a comedy of errors for Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Week after week he trotted out the same mundane, predictable schemes and defenses had no issue shutting things down.

Even after the Steelers fired Canada mid-season, the offense had to go through some growing pains before it was able to be productive and even that was as much to do with a change at quarterback as anything else.

But this year it sounds like things are different and for the first time in a long time, there is some excitement surrounding the offense. Steelers writer Mark Kaboly shared what he is hearing from the team and the players have spoken to say they love the new offense with one calling it ‘unreal’.

The first day of OTAs is Tuesday and while we don’t expect to see it in depth, the upgrades should be pretty obvious.

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ESPN predicts Steelers make trade for sleeper wide receiver

ESPN thinks the Steelers could trade for Treylon Burks.

The biggest roster need of the Pittsburgh Steelers at this point is wide receiver. We love the addition of Roman Wilson via the draft but our confidence in the mishmash of veterans the team signed doesn’t inspire confidence.

ESPN speculated on some moves teams could still make this offseason and for the Steelers, they predicted a trade between the Steelers and Tennessee Titans to bring in wide receiver Treylon Burks. Here’s what ESPN said about Burks.

Another player buried on a depth chart, Burks has been a victim of unrealistic expectations and bad timing. The Titans essentially drafted him as the replacement for A.J. Brown after trading the star wideout to the Eagles on draft day in 2022, setting the bar for Burks as an immediately impactful wideout. It hasn’t panned out, because of injuries to Burks and upheaval at quarterback. Five different players have thrown him passes over his first two seasons.

Burks has appeared in 22 games over his first two seasons with 15 starts. Burks has 49 career receptions for 665 receiving yards and only one touchdown. Injuries have seriously hampered Burks production but even when healthy, Burks has underperformed and not lived up to the first-round hype. If the Steelers wanted to work a deal for Burks, it would have to be at a nominal cost to the Steelers and take nothing into consideration about him being a former No. 18 overall pick.

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Several former Steelers on the radar to return to Pittsburgh secondary

The Steelers have several former players they could re-sign in the secondary.

As things stand right now if the Pittsburgh Steelers season started today, the team’s starting slot cornerback would be Darius Rush. To be fair, Rush is a complete unknown at this point. Same for Cory Trice Jr. who might be the answer on the outside and Donte Jackson might kick inside.

But we aren’t terribly confident with going into the training camp with those scenarios if there can be a backup plan. And the Steelers could have multiple options for a backup and all of them used to be on the roster.

The most obvious is Patrick Peterson. He admitted he’s had conversations with the team and it feels like Peterson is going to take the summer off and relax and then join the team just before the start of preseason and assume a starting job.

Two other former Steelers who are out there and could help are Ahkello Witherspoon and Chandon Sullivan. Both guys have been starters for the Steelers, know the scheme and wouldn’t break the bank. Sullivan can line up in the slot and Witherspoon is better on the outside.

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