When you fail to make the playoffs for two years in a row, a team has to often make some tough decisions about their personnel and who gives the team the best chance to win. You pair this up with a precarious salary cap situation and you get an understanding of what the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be dealing with this offseason.
Due to roster cuts and free-agency departures, Pittsburgh could be looking at a handful of new starters in 2020. Here are four positions where there could be heated position battles during offseason workouts.
Left guard
The Steelers need to create salary-cap space and this means it could be the end for starting left guard Ramon Foster. If this should happen, it will send a whole series of events in motion in relation to replacing him. The two guys to keep an eye on there are B.J. Finney and Matt Feiler. Feiler was the team’s starting right tackle for much fo the last two seasons but with Chuks Okorafor and Zach Banner waiting in the wings at tackle, Feilder and Finney will square off to take the interior starting job.
Outside linebacker
It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion the Steelers will not be paying Bud Dupree what he will be asking in free agency and the Steelers will be in the market for a new outside linebacker opposite T.J. Watt. Who will be fighting for this spot? If Anthony Chickillo is a cap casualty — and he should be — it leaves Ola Adeniyi as the next man up. But if this is the case, look for the Steelers to draft an edge rusher early in the 2020 draft and possibly look for a mid-tier free veteran free agent.
Wide receiver
There are really going to be two position battles going on here, one at the top and another at the bottom. At the top we are going to see if James Washington can pass up either Diontae Johnson or JuJu Smith-Schuster to be one of the top targets this season or will he be relegated to the No. 3 spot. At the bottom of the chart it’s a free-for-all as to which guys will stay and that includes veteran Ryan Switzer.
Tight end
If the Steelers cut ties with Vance McDonald in yet another cost-cutting move the starting tight end spot is suddenly wide open. The top choices as of now would be Nick Vannett and Zach Gentry. If this doesn’t inspire confidence you are not alone. The battle could come down to a rookie in the mix but we’re counting on a late addition after teams trim their roster and some mid-tier veteran looks for a new home.
