The NFL owners' meetings are all wrapped up. General managers and head coaches will now return to business as usual for this time of year. And that business is geared more toward the NFL Draft as the calendar turns over to April.
The Steelers typically prefer to not use the draft to address roster needs. Rather, they'd prefer to go into the three-day extravaganza with the freedom to add the best player available.
However, there are still some needs to address on the roster. And, Omar Khan is fully aware that there are still a number of free agents available to help fill those needs. Despite the time spent on the pro day tour, Khan is working the phones to add more through the open market.
"No, I'd say we keep evaluating what's out there," Khan said this week in Phoenix. "There's still a lot of good players out there. As much as we're interested in them, they gotta be interested in us. We're still going through that process. That's a nonstop. We're still evaluating everything."
Let's break this down position by position, starting with the offense. What needs remain, and how might they possibly be filled?
QUARTERBACK
This one's easy. Kenny Pickett is the man, and Mitch Trubisky is the backup. All that's left to tackle between these two is a possible contract extension for Trubisky, which could lower his 2023 cap hit. I asked Khan this week if there had been any extension talks, and he declined to get into any specifics other than the team wants him to be in Pittsburgh "for several years."
The Steelers do, however, need to address the third quarterback position. While the discussion was tabled during the owners' meetings, there is a significant possibility that the emergency third quarterback rule proposal is approved in some fashion prior to the season. This could make the market for a third quarterback a little bit more demanding.
Khan said at the Combine that the door hadn't been closed on reuniting with Mason Rudolph, and he still remains a free agent. This could either be addressed in free agency or the draft. But, the Steelers would probably benefit the most from adding a veteran. Rudolph might be the best choice, given that he already knows the offense. But, he's gotta be willing to be the clear third choice once again.
RUNNING BACK/FULLBACK
The emergence of Jaylen Warren as an undrafted rookie has secured the running back position behind Najee Harris. That's obviously a wonderful development, as the Steelers hadn't owned a formidable duo since DeAngelo Williams backed up Le'Veon Bell. Not searching for a No. 2 back is a breath of fresh air in Pittsburgh.
As far as the third running back goes, Benny Snell is a free agent, but the Steelers have Anthony McFarland, Jason Huntley and Master Teague III under contract. None of those players fill Snell's prowess on special teams, but McFarland is a capable third running back. Snell might have stolen the show when Harris and Warren went down with injuries in Indianapolis, but McFarland showed very well that night as well.
Fullback still needs to be addressed, though it's no longer a pivotal role in the offense. Derek Watt still remains a free agent, and we shouldn't close the door on reuniting with his brother, T.J. Watt. However, the Steelers simply can't afford to give Watt a contract in which he carries anything close to 2022's $4.7-million cap hit. No, the Steelers aren't in a bad cap situation. They just have more pressing needs that require better allocation of the cap.
If Watt is open to a return, that would be the best way to address this role. He's a good special teams player and one of the most respected players in the locker room. And, when the Steelers do need a first down on third- or fourth-and-1, Watt often delivered last season.
WIDE RECEIVER
Same as quarterback and running back, the top two spots are already locked up. Diontae Johnson and George Pickens is a great place to start. Johnson is still one of the best receivers in the league at getting open, and his continual growth with Pickett should make him more productive in the touchdown department next season. As far as Pickens goes, well, he's a potential superstar in the making. The sky's the limit.
After Johnson and Pickens, things get a bit murky. The Steelers need a productive slot receiver. Today's NFL demands it, especially with the firepower with which the Steelers have to contend in the division and the AFC. Khan is more than open to adding to the slot receiver role, though the direction of the position is to be determined.
"We're looking to upgrade every position. So, I'd say yes, we’re going to obviously look at the slot position and identify what the slot means to us," Khan said. "The slot receiver for everyone's a little bit different."
Theoretically, Calvin Austin III could slide right into Steven Sims' role at the end of the 2022 season as the primary slot receiver. Austin is quicker and faster than Sims, which possibly gives the Steelers a nice trio atop the depth chart. However, Austin is coming off surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury. So, it's risky to assume that he'll be the same guy we saw in Latrobe last summer. Everyone will need to see what Austin does in training camp and, more important, in stadiums -- something he never got to do as a rookie -- before he's anointed as the savior for the slot position.
Gunner Olszewski is still under contract, and currently slots in as the primary returner. His first impression in this role as a Steeler did not go very well, and a costly fumble in a crucial loss to the Patriots was a key part of the reason Mike Tomlin went to Sims in the return game. Olszewski didn't provide much on offense either. He caught only five passes for 53 yards, and was the least productive option in Matt Canada's jet sweeps.
Anthony Miller is intriguing as a depth option. He was a standout in training camp last season, and most likely had a leg up on those competing for a slot role. In fact, there's a really good chance fans aren't missing Sims even Miller didn't suffer a season-ending shoulder injury in training camp. Miller has already been working out with Pickett and the other receivers this offseason. But, the Steelers need more certainty at receiver heading into the season.
This is where the intrigue lies around spending a first-round draft pick on Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Jordan Addison if they are available at 17th overall. The Steelers certainly have more pressing needs than receiver. But, not to sound like a broken record, but firepower is needed to compete in today's NFL. Smith-Njigba is a run-to-the-podium type of selection at 17, and Addison's history with Pickett is more than enough to make anyone think twice about pulling the trigger on that type of draft pick.
Adding any impact through the free agent market right now might cost the Steelers a bit too much against the cap, but there are still options such as Odell Beckham Jr and Jarvis Landry available. Given the Steelers' precedent with the receiver position, don't be surprised if a receiver is taken in the first three rounds of the draft.
TIGHT END
Bringing back Zach Gentry on a one-year deal makes tight end no longer a need for the Steelers. The trio of Pat Freiermuth, Gentry and Connor Heyward gives the Steelers flexibility and versatility at the position. Freiermuth has the tools to be one of the best in the league, Gentry is a solid blocker and smart football player and Heyward emerged as a versatile option in Canada's offense down the stretch.
Because of Gentry's return, the free agent market is no longer needed to fill the position. However, the Steelers might regret not taking advantage of a very strong class of tight ends in the draft. Top options such as Dalton Kincaid, Michael Mayer and Darnell Washington are most likely pipe dreams for the Steelers, but even a guy such as Brenton Strange could be a legitimate option in the latter stages of the draft.
No, the Steelers don't need a tight end. But, adding to the position with an exciting young prospect gives Canada more options for Pickett heading into Year 2.
CENTER/GUARD
At this point, any further additions to center or guard is just playing with house money. James Daniels and Isaac Seumalo are likely the two starting guards, with Kevin Dotson and Nate Herbig as the depth options. Those are four capable starters for two positions. It's arguably the strongest position on the team now.
Mason Cole is the lone true center on the team, though Daniels has experience at center. J.C. Hassenauer wasn't tendered a qualifying offer, and he's still a free agent. However, the Steelers could potentially use the draft to explore the future at center. John Michael Schmitz and Steve Avila are two potential centers the Steelers have on the docket for Top 30 visits, so the team is doing their due diligence regarding the future of the position.
As far as 2023 goes, the Steelers are about as set as they can be on the interior of the offensive line. That's the biggest development of the offseason, at least on the offensive side of the ball.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE
The Steelers have their tackles in place. Dan Moore is on the left, Chukwuma Okorafor is on the right and new addition Le'Raven Clark has been brought on as the third tackle.
But, is Khan done upgrading the tackle position? Most likely not. I had a chance to ask him why the interior of the line was prioritized over tackle, and his answer was as simple as it gets: The market unfolded in a way for the team to address those spots in the way Khan wanted them to be addressed.
"My directive to our guys was, 'Hey, we’ve got to identify guys that can add competition at every position,'" Khan said. "We want starter-capable guys. It just so happened that things worked out with Nate and Isaac and they both bring competition and starter capability."
The Steelers were also in Orlando Brown at left tackle, but he opted to sign with the Bengals. Everything I've heard from the inside is the Steelers like Moore at left tackle more than people on the outside want to hear. But, Khan isn't just kicking the tires on a four-time Pro Bowl left tackle just for the sake of doing it. If there was a possibility of upgrading the position in free agency, he was willing to do it. After all, adding Clark isn't adding a "starter-capable" player. That's a depth move. Nothing more.
With the lack of starter-capable options left on the open market (get the Taylor Lewan idea out of your heads), attention will now turn to the draft. Khan was once again adamant this week that "all options are on the table" at the draft, including the potential of trading up if the right player were to be available at a particular spot before them at 17.
The top three tackles in the draft are Paris Johnson Jr., Peter Skoronski and Broderick Jones. However, if the Steelers want a true tackles, Johnson or Jones would be what they're looking for. The problem is neither of them will likely fall to 17. If the Steelers want either of them, they'll most likely have to trade up.
Anton Harrison and Darnell Wright are potential options at tackle, but 17 is a reach for Harrison and Wright performed far better as a right tackle at Tennessee. Maybe they turn into starter-capable players down the road. If the Steelers take either of them, it's because they believe they can be. After all, the goal is to add impactful players in the draft, especially in the early rounds.
How the Steelers address tackle is the most impactful decision on offense from here on out. Adding a significant piece through the draft that could shake up the room would be the finishing touch on a complete revamp of the offensive line. That would help the Steelers' commitment to boasting a strong running game while also protecting their second-year quarterback.
