3 Moves You Can Expect the Steelers to Still Make This Offseason
So, what's next for the Pittsburgh Steelers? With plenty of offseason left and questions remaining, you'd have to believe they have another move or two up their sleeve this summer.
And they have options. The Steelers can look to fill some depth, work out some contracts or spice things up in the trade market. Essentially, everything is on the table for general manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin at this point.
Really, though, expect three things to be some of the first you see from this point on.
Signing an Edge Rusher
It seems apparent that the Steelers are interested in, or at least considering, a veteran edge rusher to add to their room. Right now, the outside linebacker depth consists of Cassius Marsh and Quincy Roche behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Okay -- not great.
The Steelers could go one of two ways with this, signing a veteran with starting experience like Justin Houston or Melvin Ingram. They could also approach former members of the team like Jayrone Elliott or Anthony Chickillo.
If you're putting money on it, Chickillo and Elliott are the safest bet. General manager Kevin Colbert always tends to put some cash away for depth pieces they don't have to do too much guesswork with.
Signing T.J. Watt
The Steelers are very likely on the verge of signing their superstar edge rusher to a major deal. Watt is about to enter the final year of his rookie contract, and history tells us this team usually secures their defensive players the year before their deal ends.
Steelers president Art Rooney II said earlier this offseason that the team is determined to keep Watt around long-term.
"TJ has another year on his contract," Rooney said. "We look at him as a key player in our future. I can assure you we're going to do everything we can to keep him on the roster."
NFL.com predicts Watt's contract exceeds Joey Bosa's or Myles Garrett's, putting him in the $27 million and above club. It would make him the highest-paid player at the position.
Trading Extra Pieces
The Steelers usually toss their fourth and fifth draft picks around in trades towards the later part of the offseason, but this year could be different. With their fourth-round pick already gone, players could become available, and their excess depth at two offensive roles is where they'll likely start.
Josh Dobbs and Jaylen Samuels are the names that come to mind. Dobbs has already been dealt once during his time in Pittsburgh, being traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019 for a fifth-round pick. With Dwayne Haskins and Mason Rudolph on the roster, maybe the Steelers don't need a fourth quarterback.
Samuels is about to begin the final year of his contract on a team with no significant plans for him. Benny Snell Jr. and Anthony McFarland bring more potential and time with them into 2021, and Najee Harris is the starter. Again, why have four players when you don't need all of them?
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
