We're less than two hours away from the official start of the 2021 NFL season.
But the Pittsburgh Steelers already look vastly different from the team that took the field to kick off the 2020 season.
Gone are Bud Dupree, Mike Hilton, and Matt Feiler. Names that, if we're being honest, weren't all that unexpected. Even factoring in the ACL injury, Dupree was trending upward so high and so quickly that it was never likely the Steelers would be able to afford him. Similarly, Hilton progressed to the point of no return; the Steelers would need to choose between re-signing Hilton or re-signing Cam Sutton - and they chose the latter. Feiler, on the other hand, was a not-so-bitter goodbye. He struggled bouncing from tackle to guard and was a big part of the Steelers' line issues (which were many).
I'm not going to pretend like those losses don't hurt; they do. But given the cap situation and the lack of financial wiggle room, they're understandable. The NFL is a business. It's an important fact to remember.
[incontent2]
What I can't quite seem to wrap my mind around is this - and since we're talking facts, let's look at them all laid out.
FACT #1: The Steelers started the season going 11-0 with a quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger who was returning from major elbow surgery on his throwing arm. Despite being counted out as a washed up, overrated, never-going-to-return-to-full-form, aging QB, Roethlisberger led an impressive campaign in the first half of the season for Comeback Player of the Year.
FACT #2: The team was riddled with injuries, scheduling inconsistencies, and COVID run-ins; by Thanksgiving, the team appeared run down. Their weaknesses shone through their depleted depth chart and what became most evident was their poor play-calling, struggling offensive line, and lack of a running game.
FACT #3: The loss to the Cleveland Browns in the Wild Card round of the playoffs was embarrassing. Straight up. There is no other word for it, unless you're digging deeper into the extreme synonyms of that adjective. It was a terribly sharp note to end your career on, which Maurkice Pouncey did. And there were whispers Roethlisberger might have the same fate, however he didn't want to call it quits.
FACT #4: The team made it clear to Roethlisberger - either your pay takes a cut or we cut you (I'm paraphrasing). And the options (there were distinctly two) were this: Roethlisberger comes back on a serious discount for one more run at a championship and the team does what it takes to address the holes on the roster, or he's gone and they have a year of retooling. Not rebuilding, because Mike Tomlin doesn't have losing seasons (for better or for worse).
The return of Roethlisberger seemed to communicate that management was going to build a contender around him, first addressing the offensive line, then run game, then depth on defense.
Letting Dupree walk to get his due elsewhere makes sense. Letting Hilton walk to gamble on Sutton as the cheaper more versatile option makes sense. Letting Feiler walk to get younger, stronger, and cheaper on offensive line makes sense.
[incontent3]
So then why in the world did the team not only cut Vince Williams, but allow Tyson Alualu (who, mind you, is coming off of a career season) to walk to Jacksonville for just $3 million a year? The Steelers had one of the best (if not THE best) front sevens in all of football, and to lose two critical and relatively affordable pieces in a matter of hours makes no sense. Pair all of that with crickets around JuJu Smith-Schuster, I am completely lost. To be fair, it isn't my job to understand the logic and motive behind their offseason moves. But as a spectator and avid fan, you'd hope they'd at least start to fall into place to form a puzzle with some level of cohesion.
It's possible they're going to rely heavily on drafting to address the team's needs. A cheaper option, but a risk considering guys may need time to settle into the league or worse, struggle to adapt altogether. And I think there's something to be said for making any attempt to keep the leading members of the band together, much like what the Buccaneers are doing down in Tampa.
The season officially starts in less than 20 minutes. No one has any idea what will come of it for the Steelers, and whether they really will have a chance to compete. But as it stands right now, things are looking confusing at best.
#SteelerNation
