Steelers still have holes to fill on roster
If you live in the Pittsburgh area and are not a baseball fan, you really only have two options when it comes to sports topics to follow in the local headlines: the Penguins and the Steelers. With the Stanley Cup finals still being played out by Chicago and Tampa Bay, major offseason maneuvering in the NHL, outside of coaching changes, is probably still a few weeks away.
That leaves the Steelers, who, despite getting Organized Team Activities (OTA’s) underway on May 26, still have some fairly significant holes to fill on their roster. The last time I looked into it, Pittsburgh still had around 7.6 million dollars of space left to play with under the 2015 salary cap. After looking at their roster, I focused on three positions that I believe were not addressed by the team, whether it be by free agency or the draft.
After a little web surfing and research, I identified what I think could be three veteran players still looking for teams that could help fill out depth charts at offensive line, safety and cornerback, respectively. I wanted to throw a capable third quarterback and another pass-catching tight end on the list, but I feel as though those are both luxuries that a conservative team like the Steelers would shy away from at this point in the year.
Once running back Le’Veon Bell returns from his suspension, the Steelers could boast the best quarterback/running back/wide receiver trio in the NFL. However, the offensive line is far from being as much of a sure thing, despite several years of high draft picks and the big contracts that came with them.
Frankly, the team could use help both on the interior and exterior portion of the offensive front and there is a familiar name floating around in limbo that might be a nice piece at either center or guard. Former Steeler Doug Legursky was let go by San Diego and, at age 29, has a nice combination of youth and experience. He spent five years with the Black and Gold and was the starting center for the team’s Super Bowl XLV loss to Green Bay.
One of the biggest storylines of the offseason is the transition of the defensive secondary from familiar faces Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu at cornerback and safety, respectively. The drafting of corners Senquez Golson and Doran Grant looks like a move in the right direction and I don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility to see both starting early in the season, if not Week 1. That is a bit of a scary proposition for the club, so trying to ink one more veteran to go along with William Gay, Cortez Allen and Antwon Blake may be in the team’s best interest.
Javier Arenas, who was a highly-prized prospect coming out of the University of Alabama, has failed to live up to lofty expectations as a pro, but his talent is undeniable. He has bounced around quite a bit (three teams in five years), but at just 27, he is still a viable player. While his stocky build (5-9, 197) could cause some match-up problems with bigger receivers, it also belies a strong tacking presence.
Sticking in the defensive backfield, Pittsburgh’s safety situation is a mess and has been for the past few seasons. While Mike Mitchell looked like a great pickup prior to the 2014 season, his pass coverage skills left a little to be desired, which was illustrated by just three passes defended and no interceptions. To be fair, his 71 tackles were a positive.
While Mitchell is likely to hold on to his starting spot, Shamarko Thomas, a third-year man from Syracuse, appears to have been handed Polamalu’s spot in the backfield, despite starting just two games, making a combined 34 tackles and recording no interceptions or pass breakups as a pro.
Unfortunately, the list of names of available safeties with legitimate pro experience is a short one.
However, Stevie Brown, who is about to turn 28 and coming off a 38-tackle showing in 2014, looks like a viable candidate for the job of pushing Thomas or taking the job from him. Just two years ago, Brown piled up 76 tackles and eight interceptions as a New York Giant.
Being such a position of need, a run at Brown, or a similar individual, should be near the top of the Steelers’ to-do list. Whether or not the team brass actually takes a shot at one more player who could improve the NFL’s 18th overall defense remains to be seen.