PITTSBURGH STEELERS

5 OFFSEASON NEEDS IN 2019

The Steelers still believe Ben Roethlisberger can lead them to a Super Bowl, but they have to fill these five needs in the offseason to help him do it.

There isn’t a team in the NFL who dealt with as much drama as the Steelers did last season. From Le’Veon Bell’s holdout to Antonio Brown’s circus act there was never a dull moment for Mike Tomlin and company. Ultimately, all of the distractions cost Pittsburgh a chance at the postseason. They finished tantalizingly short with a record of 9-6-1.

Roethlisberger isn’t going to play at a high level forever. There are already significant signs of slippage with the 36-year-old signal caller. He still threw for 5,129 yards and 34 touchdowns last season, but his 16 interceptions were a problem. Even so, he’s still good enough to lead the Steelers to a Super Bowl if he’s surrounded with enough talent.

There is still significant work for the front office to do this offseason. Whether they fix the following five positions through free agency or the draft, these holes must be filled to get the Steelers where they want to go in 2019.

5. RIGHT TACKLE

Marcus Gilbert is a big name player but he only managed to play five games last year before going on IR. Combine that with his sizable cap number and it’s easy to see why his future in Pittsburgh is tenuous at best.

The one thing working in Gilbert’s favor is the lack of quality options at tackle available in free agency. Replacing him with an established commodity would prove to be very expensive. Someone like Daryl Williams might be worth it, but signing him or someone similar might tie the team’s hands at other positions.

Finding a tackle in the draft might be a more straightforward option, but Roethlisberger isn’t going to want to play behind a guy who isn’t ready on day one. Clearly that isn’t going to be an easy need for the Steelers to address, but they need more production at right tackle in 2019.

4. LEFT GUARD

Ramon Foster has been a fixture for the Steelers at left guard for what feels like forever. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, he’s a 33-year-old interior player heading towards free agency.

The chances of him returning for another tour of duty with the Steelers is pretty minimal. He’ll field more lucrative offers in free agency and the team will believe they can replace him with a younger, cheaper player. Recent evidence from other teams prove that it’s possible to draft a talented guard and turn him into an instant Pro Bowler.

Of course, that will require Pittsburgh to use a fairly high draft pick on a non-premium position. They aren’t going to find Quenton Nelson in the sixth or seventh round. If they want to replace Roster with a rookie who’s capable of starting in his first year it’s going to require the Steelers to use a selection in Round 1 or 2.

That’s the right play for Pittsburgh. They could probably find a replacement level guard in free agency for a cut-rate price, but that’s not the sort of move that will help the Steelers make a long playoff run next year. The two reasonable choices for the franchise are to either bring Foster back on a short-term deal or spend a valuable draft pick on his long-term replacement.

3. LINEBACKER

The loss of Ryan Shazier to catastrophic energy dealt the entire Steelers locker room a vicious emotional blow. His continued absence also leaves the team without a talented, athletic playmaker at the middle linebacker position. That deficiency must be addressed this offseason.

T.J. Watt is clearly going to keep one of the four starting spots, but Jon Bostic, Vince Williams and Bud Dupree could all feel some heat before the 2019 regular season kicks off. None of them are bad players, but they aren’t difference makers. This defense really needs one of their other linebackers to play at a Pro Bowl level if the unit wants to be elite.

The good news for Steelers fans is that inside linebacker isn’t really considered to be a premium position by most NFL teams at the moment. Look for their front office to try to take advantage of that market inefficiency. There will be talented linebackers available on the free agent market. Picking the right one could really elevate this Steelers defense in a big way.

Drafting a linebacker with top end speed will also be a consideration. Those guys are a little harder to project, but teams have been getting their evaluations correct lately. This year’s version of Roquan Smith would be perfect for Pittsburgh. Don’t be shocked if the Steelers use a high draft pick on a guy in Shazier’s mold.

2. CORNERBACK

When the Steelers spent a 2016 first round selection on Artie Burns they believed he’d be a solid starter for years to come. It hasn’t worked that way. Burns was benched halfway through last year which makes upgrading their options a cornerback a huge priority for Pittsburgh this offseason.

This is absolutely a spot that could be addressed with the team’s first round pick. There are quite a few cornerbacks who project to go around where Pittsburgh will make their first selection. Don’t be surprised if a guy like Greedy Williams or Deandre Baker ends up putting on a Steelers hat before the first round is over in April.

If that doesn’t happen, this could be the biggest contract the Pittsburgh front office hands out this year. They can’t afford to go into the 2019 campaign with Joe Haden and Coty Sensabaugh as their starters on the outside.

Unlike the linebacker position, cornerback isn’t a position that’s undervalued in free agency. Trying to nab a quality starter on the open market is going to prove cost prohibitive for the Steelers this offseason. Burns didn’t work out in round one back in 2016, but that won’t cause Pittsburgh to avoid the position to open the 2019 Draft.

1. RUNNING BACK

There’s a widely held belief in NFL circles that the running back position is no longer important. That isn’t quite true. It’s still a crucial position in every offense in the NFL; it’s just not a position where you have to spend big to excel.

That’s the important distinction that the Steelers front office has to keenly understand this offseason. They replaced Le’Veon Bell adequately with James Conner last year, but they didn’t do a solid job of giving Conner a running back who could help him stay strong for the full season.

The Steelers won’t make that mistake next year. They’re going to make sure Roethlisberger has plenty of options at the running back position in 2019. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if Pittsburgh brings in two guys capable of spelling Conner before camp starts.

The ideal mix would be to add one reasonably accomplished free agent and one rookie with a late-round pick. In a perfect world, the two backs will be total opposites. One should be a bruiser capable of bludgeoning opponents into submission. The other needs to be a dynamic player capable of making big plays in space.

The Steelers don’t need to spend big at the running back position this offseason, but it still is a crucial spot for them to fix. This offense needs more production that Conner can provide by himself.