Lots of NFL players will officially have new zip codes by the end of business on Wednesday. The Pittsburgh Steelers are never overly active in free agency but this offseason has been different. While there is still plenty to come, here are the three big takeaways from the Steelers’ early moves in free agency
Randy Fichtner is now on notice
Offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner enters his second season running the offense and will do it without Antonio Brown and another year removed from Le’Veon Bell. Last season was a disappointment as Fichtner just bailed on any attempt to create a balanced offense and instead just deferred to Ben Roethlisberger to carry the load. This won’t be an option this season and Fichtner is going to need to put in the work to find ways to manufacture yards and points beyond just letting Big Ben chuck it down the field.
Pressure is on the Steelers defense
Along those same lines, the defense cannot afford the lapses that have plagued it in the past. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler has been in a position where his defense only had to do enough to let the offense outscore the opponents. Butler is going to need to find creative ways to pressure the quarterback and also create turnovers. The Steelers added a starting cornerback in Steven Nelson. but look for more additions to help fill in some of the gaps on the roster.
Football is the focus once again
No matter what happens this season, the best part is that the focus will be all about football. The Steelers lost their way over the past few seasons and strayed from the philosophy that made this franchise great for so long. But with the distractions gone and the team loading back up, fans and players should be able to just concentrate on winning football games.
