Category: Steelers Wire News

Steelers stuck in the middle of the pack in latest ESPN NFL power rankings

Despite a productive offseason, the Steelers dropped in the latest ESPN NFL power rankings.

Few teams have put in more work this offseason than the Pittsburgh Steelers. The front office completely rebuilt the quarterback depth chart and added serious talent on the offensive line. Nevertheless, the rest of the league has worked on getting better as well.

ESPN put out its latest NFL power rankings after the NFL draft and despite all that work, they dropped the Steelers two spots from 13 to 15. Here’s what they had to say about the Steelers from writer Brooke Pryor:

It’s tempting to go with the offensive line here, but the veteran quarterback additions eke out the rookie offensive linemen. Russell Wilson threw for 26 touchdowns to eight interceptions a year ago, while a combination of Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph threw 13 touchdowns to nine interceptions. At the very least, Wilson and Justin Fields should offer a mixture of more stability and a higher ceiling at the position — especially in a run-first, play-action heavy offense that plays to their strengths.

Among the AFC North, ESPN has Pittsburgh as the lowest-ranked with even the Cleveland Browns coming in at No. 12, The Baltimore Ravens checking in at No. 3 and the Cincinnati Bengals are No. 9.

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Steelers sign veteran CB Anthony Averett

Pittsburgh added a veteran cornerback after last weekend’s rookie minicamp.

One of the NFL veterans who attended the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie minicamp this weekend was cornerback Anthony Averett. Averett did enough at the minicamp that the team signed him to a one-year contract at its completion.

Averett is a six-year veteran and former fourth-round pick. After two straight seasons hampered by injuries, Averett is hopeful he is fully healthy and ready to contribute at cornerback for the Steelers.

Pittsburgh traded away starting wide receiver Diontae Johnson at the start of free agency to land starting cornerback Donte Jackson but there is still more work to be done at the position.

Averett will join Beanie Bishop Jr., Darius Rush, and Cory Trice Jr. in what could be a heated position battle to round out the cornerback depth chart.

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Former Bears coach says Steelers QB Justin Fields was ‘really hard to watch’

One former Bears assistant was not impressed by Justin Fields.

The quarterback class from the 2021 NFL draft is turning out to be Trevor Lawrence and just a bunch of dudes. Lawrence was the only one of the five selected in the first round who got his fifth-year option picked up this offseason. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the group.

One of those quarterbacks is current Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Justin Fields. The Chicago Bears selected Fields with the No. 11 overall pick in that draft. Jump ahead three seasons and the Bears basically gave him to the Steelers and are trying again with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.

Fields was a polarizing character as the Bears starting quarterback, and according to NFL writer Tyler Dunne, at least one Chicago coach was highly critical of Fields:

Watch his eyes. He tries to see the whole thing and doesn’t see anything. His eyes are all over the place and it’s just really hard to watch. It’s just bad football.

That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement, but it is not surprising either. Fields flashed greatness in his highlights, but the Bears really struggled to put him in a position for him to be successful unless he was relying heavily on his athleticism.

It’s hard to say how much better Fields will get this season backing up Russell Wilson in this new-look Steelers offense, or whether he will even see the field.

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Steelers lose out on Bud Dupree Sweepstakes

EDGE Bud Dupree was interested in rejoining the Steelers but instead chose to sign with a conference foe.

Bud Dupree was interested in rejoining the Pittsburgh Steelers but instead chose to sign with a conference foe.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the L.A. Chargers “sold three-rusher sets with Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa.”

Dupree parlayed 19.5 sacks in his final two years in Pittsburgh into a huge free-agent contract with the Tennessee Titans. Unfortunately, in two years in Tennessee, Dupree was hampered by injuries and could only muster seven sacks.

Dupree started all 16 games last season for the Atlanta Falcons in 2023 and had 6.5 sacks.

Getting Dupree back would’ve been a nice luxury, but it isn’t the end of the world. Markus Golden, who appeared in all 16 games and produced four sacks, a fumble recovery, and 20 tackles, remains a free agent. Now go get him!

Pittsburgh will need to address depth behind T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig.

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Predicting the role for Steelers DB Ryan Watts

The Steelers signed Ryan Watts to his rookie contract on Saturday.

On Saturday, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced the signing of three of the members of its 2024 NFL draft class. The Steelers announced they had signed both of their sixth-round picks, defensive end Logan Lee and defensive back Ryan Watts.

In Watts, the Steelers land a guy who struggled as a full-time cornerback but has the frame and measurables to convert to safety. Watts plays with a physical edge and intensity. He works well going downhill toward the line of scrimmage and in the box.

I don’t see Watts working as an NFL slot cornerback primarily because he struggles to diagnose plays quickly and is often a step behind in coverage.

So what does this mean for Watts role with Pittsburgh? Frankly, we don’t expect much from Watts on defense this season. But where he could have a significant impact is on special teams. He’s a hitter and with his size could be a force on coverage teams.

Prediction: Watts isn’t a lock to make the team but we will give him the benefit of the doubt. How often he dresses for games will depend on what he does on special teams this season.

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Predicting the role for Steelers rookie DE Logan Lee

Logan Lee signed his rookie contract on Saturday.

On Saturday, the Pittsburgh Steelers officially announced they had signed rookie sixth-round pick Logan Lee to a four-year contract. Lee was one of the Steelers two sixth-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft and the first of the Steelers draft class to sign.

Physically, Lee passes the eyeball test for what the Steelers want in a versatile defensive lineman.  At 6-foot-5, Lee has the length Pittsburgh loves in 3-4 defensive ends but he will need to put on some quality weight to hold up inside and rush the passer from the interior.

Looking over the defensive linemen on the roster currently, Lee has an opportunity to have something of a rookie impact. Cameron Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi and Keeanu Benton will be the starting three but the Steelers love to rotate five or six players up front. Lee will compete with Montravius Adams, DeMarvin Leal and Isaiahh Loudermilk for reps.

Prediction: We expect Lee to make the final 53-man roster and bounce back and forth from the gameday roster among the inactives. Lee has a higher ceiling than Loudermilk and Leal but their experience will give them an edge early in the season.

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Steelers rookie OT works at right tackle in Day 1 of minicamp

The Steelers seem to be preparing for a position switch for Broderick Jones.

One positional battle to keep an eye on this offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers is offensive tackle. As of now the Steelers have three players competing for two starting spots with Dan Moore Jr. and Broderick Jones the incumbents and rookie Troy Fautanu the newcomer.

After one day of rookie minicamp, Fautanu was working at right tackle exclusively, which is a position change over his time at the University of Washington.

In 2023, Jones took the starting right tackle job over Chuks Okorafor at the midway point of the season and played very well. However, when General Manager Omar Khan talked about Jones, he made it clear Jones is the left tackle, which adds up with Fautanu getting in work on the right side. It would also mean Moore, who played last season on borrowed time could be on the way out.

Pittsburgh selected Fautanu in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft out of the University of Washington.

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Will Steelers QB Justin Fields play in 2024?

Should the Steelers be responsible to get Justin Fields on the field this season?

The biggest project the Pittsburgh Steelers front office and coaching staff undertook this offseason was to rebuild the quarterback depth chart. Pittsburgh brought in both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields but by all accounts, the starting quarterback job currently belongs to Wilson and it will stay that way.

Both Fields and Wilson are playing on one-year contracts but joining the team from completely different points of view. Wilson is looking to go out on a high note in his stellar career and Fields is hoping to get a promising career back on track. Something that can’t happen if he’s not on the field in 2024.

This doesn’t feel very fair to Fields if the Steelers are going to bring him in, not let him on the field and then send him into free agency with no opportunity to improve. Cast your vote and tell us if you think the Steelers will find ways to get Fields into games this season or is he only playing if Wilson gets hurt?

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Free agent EDGE Bud Dupree talking return to Steelers

Could there be a reunion between the Steelers and Bud Dupree?

One remaining area of need for the Pittsburgh Steelers after the NFL draft and much of free agency is edge rusher. The team did not re-sign Markus Golden leaving a void in the depth chart. According to ESPN NFL analyst Adam Schefter Pittsburgh is talking to Bud Dupree about returning to the team.

Dupree was the Steelers first-round pick in 2015. He saw his greatest success as a member of the Steelers. Dupree parlayed 19.5 sacks in his final two years in Pittsburgh into a huge free-agent contract with the Tennessee Titans. Unfortunately, in two years in Tennessee, Dupree was hampered by injuries and could only muster seven sacks.

Dupree started all 16 games last season for the Atlanta Falcons in 2023 and had 6.5 sacks. If Dupree returns to the Steelers, he would join second-year pro Nick Herbig as a primary backup to starters T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.

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How would a Brandon Aiyuk trade have changed the Steelers draft?

Which outcome would you have preferred from the NFL draft?

The 2024 NFL draft was a rousing success for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team landed two dominant starting offensive linemen in the first two rounds and in the third selected a wide receiver and inside linebacker who will both play a ton in 2023.

But what if the Steelers had pulled off a rumored trade for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiuyk? If we assume the rumblings are true as to what the Niners wanted, it would have cost the Steelers the No. 20 and No. 98 overall picks as a minimum.

This would mean the Steelers would have missed on offensive tackle Troy Fautanu and inside linebacker Payton Wilson. Is this a trade-off the fans would be ok with?

The trade might have also cost the Steelers center Zach Frazier. If Pittsburgh had chosen to value offensive tackle higher, Patrick Paul might have been the pick instead and the choice of Mason McCormick might be viewed as the team’s center option. It might have also meant the Steelers didn’t select wide receiver Roman Wilson with their first pick in the third round.

So instead of how the first four rounds of the draft turned out, it might have looked like this.

Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk

Offensive tackle Patrick Paul (2nd round)

Inside linebacker Payton Wilson (3rd round)

C Mason McCormick (4th round)

As much as we love Aiyuk and think he could help the team, for the cost, I’m good with how the Steelers draft turned out as opposed to this potential alternative.

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