Now that the draft is done and free agency has hit pause until roster cuts start, the Pittsburgh Steelers can continue through the offseason and try to sort out how to get back to the playoffs. Here are the five biggest questions for the Steelers going forward with the offseason.
Who is the third pass rusher at OLB?
As it sits right now, Anthony Chickillo, Ola Adeniyi and Sutton Smith round out the outside linebacker depth chart behind T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree. As much as we all want to see Dupree take the next step as a player, nothing is certain. Chickillo has been with the Steelers for four seasons and has seven career sacks. His value extends more to special teams and so it’s hard to include him in this conversation.
We are banking on Adeniyi being the guy who ends up the third pass rusher in the rotation. His college film is exceptional but he’s a total unknown at the NFL level.
Can Marcus Allen be the team’s third safety?
The Steelers released Morgan Burnett, leaving a gap at safety. We might theorize Mark Barron will be the hybrid third safety, but in terms of an injury replacement for Sean Davis or Terrell Edmunds, Barron isn’t that guy. This means Allen is the top choice after spending almost his entire rookie season inactive.
How will the rushing attempts be split?
The days of the rushing offense being a singular entity are over in Pittsburgh. James Conner is great, but there is too much talent in Jaylen Samuels and Benny Snell Jr. to leave them on the bench. No one is calling for a true running back platoon, but giving Samuels and Snell each four or five touches per game can only help keep Conner fresh and healthy down the stretch.
Who starts at wide receiver with JuJu Smith-Schuster?
And then there were three. James Washington, Donte Moncrief and Diontae Johnson will duke it out in camp to see which guy gets the bulk of the reps at wide receiver. Put me down for the experience of Moncrief winning out unless Washington makes serious strides in training camp. I view Johnson as more of a slot receiver and this could be his best shot to see the field as a rookie.
Is it really all about football?
The Steelers have gone to great lengths to divest themselves of the drama on the roster. They have also taken care in the 2019 NFL draft to draft guys who are high-character and love playing football. These are all steps in the right direction, but will all of these cultural changes show up in the standings? It’s great to see Pittsburgh working on improving the quality of the person, but ultimately fans want a winning team.
