Steelers' Cameron Heyward Is Not Too Focused On Team's Recent Moves: "You Can't Win The Offseason"

Even though the Pittsburgh Steelers have been more aggressive in the offseason with Omar Khan at the helm, they haven't been known to sign crazy deal after crazy deal like some other teams do. They still had a productive offseason with the cheap, yet effective rebuild of the quarterback room, as well as signing potential key contributors like Patrick Queen. They have done some great things in the 2024 offseason, but they haven't done nearly enough to be crowned "champions of the offseason." However, that title does not matter to the Steelers or the players. 

In his return to Organized Training Activities (OTAs), Cameron Heyward spoke about the Steelers' offseason acquisitions as a whole, and he didn't worry about the fact that the Steelers' offseason wasn't exactly the best.

You can sign all the best players in the world to blockbuster contracts; you can trade all your draft capital for more elite players, but if they don't mesh well together and/or they don't fit the system, then it all means nothing. The Steelers have an obvious plan for both sides of the ball, and they stuck to it. It doesn't matter if they can trade for Brandon Aiyuk if he wouldn't work well in the Steelers' run-first system.

How Did The Steelers Execute Their Offseason Plan?

When healthy, the combination of Heyward, TJ Watt, and Alex Highsmith is the scariest pass rush unit in the NFL. While they have that down, they still needed some help improving certain parts of the defense. As opposed to getting a name-brand safety in Justin Simmons, they went and sign DeShon Elliot, who was born to be a Steeler. Instead of throwing money around for a new cornerback, the team traded for Donte Jackson, who they believe will do better in their system. 

Despite gutting and replacing their entire quarterback room, the Steelers made sure that the new signal-callers won't have to carry the offense. They finished rebuilding the offensive line in the draft, traded away a "problem" receiver to acquire Jackson, and even hired an offensive coordinator that fits the Steelers' run-first style of offense. 

The Steelers didn't get the best names on the market, but they acquired a bunch of guys that could work well in the Steelers' system. Many fans across the league won't consider the Steelers' offseason to be the best, but no one on the team cares. Winning games on the field mean a whole lot more than being perceived as the most improved team before a down is played.

Obviously, their work is still not done. With Free Agent Frenzy being over, the remaining free agents will most likely lower their asking price to sign with a team. The Steelers got an absolute steal in 2023 when they signed Kwon Alexander to a cheap one-year deal during training camp. There are still some good low-risk options for the team to take a chance on.

The Steelers have already had the best "everything" before. They had the best offense for a half-decade, with All-Pros and Pro-Bowlers taking up nearly every single position on offense. It did not matter, as they only won three playoff games during that stretch of being one of the best teams "on paper." While the Steelers still want those kinds of players on the team, they would rather take the low-key options that work together, as opposed to the dysfunction of the Killer B's era. 

What do you think about Cameron Heyward's comments about the offseason? Let us know in the comments.

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