If you are surprised that the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t go after any of the big named free agents then you obviously don’t know the Steelers very well.
This organization prefers to cultivate its’ talent through the draft rather than look for stars and home run hitters through free agency.
Rather than spend big, the Steelers have always preferred to add free agents for depth and the occasional starter here and there.
So far this offseason, the Steelers have signed one player in free agency that projects to be a starter and that’s safety Mike Mitchell. While the contract they signed him to was pretty favorable to the team, it still is a contract that means he should be starting.
Arguments could be made for Lance Moore starting and perhaps Cam Thomas but as of right now, they are not scheduled to start.
The problem for the Steelers this year is that because of several failed drafts, their depth is dangerously shallow. They’ve addressed this on the defensive line with Thomas but they are still lacking bodies there.
The wide receiver position has bodies now but what can be expected from so many young, inexperienced guys?
The running back position is comprised of Le’Veon Bell and Will Johnson and three other guys named Alexander, Poole and Maysonet. Ya, I haven’t heard of them either…
Ironically, the offensive line is one of the areas where depth isn’t a problem right now. We should probably bookmark this statement immediately!
This is ultimately what happens to a team that lives suspiciously close to the salary cap edge year after year and it’s ultimately what happens when really bad drafts come home to roost too.
The Steelers are faced with the proposition that they will be forced to get rookies on the field sooner than they typically like and for some of us, that isn’t so bad. At some point this was going to happen in Pittsburgh and we are now living with it.
To say that this upcoming draft needs to be successful is a massive understatement.
Marc Uhlmann writes for and co-owns www.steelcityblitz.com. Follow him on Twitter @steeldad and follow the website at @SCBlitz. He can be heard weekly on Trib-Live Radio talking Steelers and is a blogger for ESPN 970 in Pittsburgh.
