The 2020 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, which started with so many promises, ended with an emphatic thump after Pittsburgh fell to the Cleveland Browns in the wild card round. After an 11-0 start, the Steelers have lost five of their last six games, including Sunday night’s 48-37 loss to their longtime rival. After the game, Steelers brave Ben Roethlisberger and Maurkice Pouncey remained on the bench, creating the idea that a particular era in Pittsburgh football has come to an end.
Roethlisberger said after Sunday’s game that he is unsure whether he will be back for the 2021 season or not. Although he played at a high level for much of his turnaround season, Roethlisberger would be a colossal success for a Pittsburgh team that has very little room to play at the end of the season. If Roethlisberger returns for an 18th season, his salary will have to be adjusted to meet the other staffing needs of the team.
Let’s assume that Roethlisberger, soon to be 39, honors the last year of his contract, giving the Steelers at least one more year to try to build a champion team around their future Hall of Fame quarterback. Here are three things they can do in this off-season that can make that dream come true.
Step 1: find Big Ben’s successor
We know it’s easier said than done, but it’s time for the Steelers to put more emphasis on the future of their position as a defender. The current leader to replace Roethlisberger is Mason Rudolph, who shot 315 yards and two touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s two-point loss to Cleveland in week 17. Rudolph, who will turn 25 in July, is entering the final year of his rookie contract . If Roethlisberger decides to retire this or the next off-season, Rudolph would be the big favorite to be Pittsburgh’s new full-back, at least for a short time. How well Rudolph did during his first season at the center would help determine whether or not he will be the team’s long-term greeting. If Rudolph struggles (which would likely lead to a difficult season for Pittsburgh), the Steelers would probably be in a position to call up a quarterback, which they did after defeating Roethlisberger with the 11th overall choice in the 2004 draft.
Although Rudolph could eventually replace Roethlisberger, the Steelers should still consider taking a defender in this year’s draft. One possible option is Florida’s Kyle Trask, who completed almost 69% of his passes with 43 touchdowns and just eight interceptions for the Gators last fall. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Trask is currently designed as a second-round choice by CBS Sports, although some of our simulators land it in the first round.
Step 2: fix the running game
In Randy Fichtner’s three years as a Pittsburgh offensive coordinator, the Steelers’ racing game was ranked 31st, 29th and 32nd in the league. The team’s lack of a running game has never been more evident than during the second half of the season, when defenses began to focus exclusively on stopping the Steelers’ short passing game. The Steelers’ ongoing problems were a collaborative failure. Fichtner, as an offensive coordinator, deserves part of the blame. The same is true with the Pittsburgh offensive line, which has dealt with several injuries throughout the season. Holder James Conner struggled to stay healthy, while reserves Benny Snell and rookie Anthony McFarland averaged just 3.3 yards per load. Jaylen Samuels, who ran 142 yards in Pittsburgh’s 2018 victory over New England, made just nine attempts in 2020.
More creativity (or possibly a new philosophy) from the Pittsburgh player will certainly help to open things up for running backs. The Steelers would be wise to try to implement the quick zone attack that Kyle Shanahan dominated with the 49ers. The Pittsburgh offensive line will certainly add some new pieces during the draft and possibly the free agency. The Steelers line-up will welcome the return of Zach Banner, who suffered a break in ACL in week 1. Banner may be asked to replace left striker Alejandro Villanueva, who is not expected to return next season. The Steelers may also be looking for a new center to replace Pouncey if the nine-time Pro Bowl decides to hang up its boots.
Given the limit restrictions, Pittsburgh will likely let Conner test the market. If Conner signs elsewhere, the Steelers are likely to find a replacement through the project. Possible draft options include the two running backs in the national college football title game on Monday night. Alabama’s Najee Harris, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound bulldozer, entered the game Monday night with 1,387 run yards and 24 touchdowns. Ohio State Trey Sermon, a graduate transferred from Oklahoma, raced for a 331-yard school record when leading the Buckeyes in the win over Northwestern in the Big Ten title game. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound sermon followed that effort with a 193-yard performance in Ohio’s victory over Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal. Harris is currently classified by CBS Sports as a second round choice. Sermon is currently designed as a choice of third or fourth round.
Step 3: Catch Watt and Minkah and more
Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick are two reasons why the Steelers may decide to end the Roethlisberger era. Watt, whose fifth-year option was chosen last spring, will receive a new contract the moment the regular season begins. The team can also try to extend Fitzpatrick, who this season joined Watt as an All-Pro of the first team. If they don’t have room to sign again with Fitzpatrick, Steelers will take their fifth year option, which will keep them under contract until the 2022 season.
Steelers’ casualties on June 21 are likely to include JuJu Smith-Schuster and Bud Dupree. Smith-Schuster, the team leader at receptions last season, is likely to receive a robust offer as a free agency. And while Dupree’s injury may limit his offers, the chances of him returning to Pittsburgh are still slim.
Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool will rise as the first two Steelers recipients, with James Washington entering the training ground as the Steelers’ third recipient. An intriguing option to replace Smith-Schuster is LSU’s Terrace Marshall, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound wideout that caught 23 touchdowns during his last two seasons with the Tigers. The Steelers seem to have already found Dupree’s support in Alex Highsmith, a choice from the third round of 2020 that played well in Dupree’s relief during the final month of the regular season. Look for the Steelers to add depth behind Highsmith and Watt during the off-season.