Let’s go back in time shall we?
A year ago, the majority of the fan base was convinced that the Pittsburgh Steelers had found their quarterback in the post Ben Roethlisberger Era. Kenneth Shane Pickett had two good running backs. He had two above average wide receivers and a pass catching tight end. He also had offensive line that was sure to be improved in the Draft and in the early days of free agency. But he also had Matt Canada and that’s why there was still much uncertainty around the team. When the preseason rolled around the buzz was never-ending due to three straight stellar performances.
But now, things have changed and they have changed drastically. While Arthur Smith is the new offensive coordinator, Pickett finds himself a backup QB with the addition of Russell Wilson. Mason Rudolph has already seen the writing on the wall and has headed to Tennessee. General Manager Omar Khan has added a new punter in Cameron Johnston, retained his all-pro Special Teamer in Miles Killebrew and he added the top free agent linebacker available in Patrick Queen.
But he’s also traded away the team’s most accomplished receiver in Diontae Johnson. Would you have imagined this at this same point a year ago?
With that move itself, the focus of the NFL Draft has changed for the Steelers. Continuing to rebuild the offensive line is still important but wide receiver just moved up the board in terms of need. We saw at the Combine that they were meeting with some very high end receivers which caught many of us off guard a bit. Now we know why the decision to move on from Johnson had been much some time ago.
There was a time in the National Football League when you pretty much knew how your off-season would go. You’d already know most of the players on the roster outside of the draft picks and you certainly did not need a scorecard to keep track of everyone.
Perhaps the most interesting part of all of this change is that there is still so much more to come. Therefore you can come back to the present now. Just keep your scorecard handy.
