The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't quite have the season we hoped for after finishing 9-8 and barely missing the playoffs. For the Steelers to get back into playoff contention, the team must improve in several areas. They seemed to have figured out the QB1 position as there should be no questions about whether or not QB1 Kenny Pickett has "it." However, it's now time to surround Pickett with quality players at important positions to help him grow and continue to develop as the team's franchise quarterback to get this team back into playoff contention.
Credit: NFL.com
Steelers President Art Rooney II did hint about improving in a specific area when he was asked about the play of the offensive line in the 2022 season during his annual "State of the Steelers" address:
"I think that we did get better as the season went on, and that’s encouraging. But we’re not going to say we can’t improve. I mean, we’re going to look for ways to improve. I think overall, consistency is something we could do better with. We had some guys that were a little inconsistent, and we’ve got to do better in that regard."
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The name of the offensive lineman that jumps out when reading that quote about inconsistency from Rooney II is LT Dan Moore Jr. He was, by far, the Steelers' most inconsistent offensive lineman of the year along with LG Kevin Dotson, and he plays one of the most important positions in all of football. The Steelers can't afford to stand back and do nothing in free agency this year. They did an excellent job adding to the offensive line room last off-season by bringing in veterans like C Mason Cole and G James Daniels.
So, who should the Steelers look to bring in to improve the left tackle position?
The Steelers have a couple of options to improve along the offensive line. We can all agree that tackle is a glaring position of need, specifically the position of left tackle. Some Steeler fans want to retool through the draft as the Steelers pride themselves in doing. However, the team could look to free agency to improve the position. Often injured, and self-proclaimed most likely 2023 free agent, LT Taylor Lewan has had the Steelers on his mind, recently. Lewan would be a nice addition, if healthy, but I want to spotlight a certain left tackle who could be more than just a stopgap guy for the franchise.
Orlando Brown Jr., Left Tackle
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Obviously, this could be viewed as a pipe dream. Contract negotiations broke down last off-season between Orlando Brown Jr. and the Kansas City Chiefs, so they opted to franchise tag him for the 2022 season. The Steelers would have to clear out some cap space one way or another to afford him. However, he would be an immediate upgrade at left tackle, there's no question about that. Brown is only 26 and currently, Spotrac.com has Brown's market value sitting at $22.4 million annually and a projected five-year deal worth a little over $112 million. That would require the Steelers to do quite a bit of trimming of the cap, but to have Pickett's blindside protected for the foreseeable future could absolutely make that price worth it! The team currently sits at $1.2 million under the cap, so the Steelers have a long way to go before they can bring in one of the league's top left tackles, but it would be worth it!
Brown is much more than just a stopgap, "put a band-aid on it," type of player. He can be this franchise's left tackle for at least the next five years!
What do yinz think? Should the Steelers pay an outrageous amount of money to protect Pickett's blindside for the foreseeable future? Let us know in the comment section below, or on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram!
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