Steelers Tackle the Offseason (Part I)

The most important aspect of the Steelers offseason will now revolve around what punishment, if any, that Roethlisberger receives either through the legal system or the NFL. We cannot just assume that Ben is cleared of all charges and receives no disciplinary action from the league, but even if Ben were to be criminally charged in the next few days, it would be months and probably even a year or two before the case were to play out in court. I think it is probably safe to at least assume the Steelers will have Roethlisberger for the 2010 season. Having Roethlisberger makes the Steelers instant Super Bowl contenders, and with the construction of the rest of the roster, the Steelers are built to win and win now. Recognizing this, the Steelers must plan their offseason accordingly to best set up a run at the 2011 Super Bowl.

The Steelers got a jump on this initiative by signing Casey Hampton to a three year deal and placing the franchise tag on kicker Jeff Reed. Both of these moves should be applauded and were essential to a successful offseason. I would have liked to see the transition tag placed on Ryan Clark, but I can definitely see the Steelers’ hesitation in doing this. A tag would have made it very difficult to negotiate a longer-term deal with Clark who would have been guaranteed $6 million for the upcoming season if he were designated with the transition tag. I do think that Clark, or a replacement safety, should be the Steelers’ #1 priority in free agency. Let’s take a step back, however, and look at how the Steelers’ project on both sides of the ball and with that how they should direct their offseason plans. Today we will look at the offensive side of the ball and follow that up with the defense and special teams tomorrow:

Offense

The Steelers finished last season as the League’s #7 offense in yardage, and things look bright once again with virtually every meaningful player back and most right square in the prime of their career. The offense will be centered on the talents of Roethlisberger, using mostly 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 RB sets. Rashard Mendenhall is the perfect back for this offense as his versatility with running, blocking and receiving is a perfect match for this offense. Heath Miller is one of the games top tight ends and the receiving trifecta of Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward and Mike Wallace compliment each other’s strengths perfectly. Ward is the elder statesmen of the group, but does enough in the slot and with his knowledge of the game to be productive for at least another couple of years. The Steelers could address some depth issues at both RB and WR, as Willie Parker will no longer be with the Steelers and Hines Ward is getting up there in years. Both of these positions can be filled with second-tier free agents and middle to late round draft picks. The Steelers also must still find out what they have in 3rd year WR Limas Sweed, though the thinking here is not very much.

It is a widely held belief that the Steelers offensive line is their primary weakness. When you are as set as the Steelers seem to be at the skill positions, it is hard for the line not to be the weakness of the offensive unit. However, this line is not nearly as bad as some “experts” might say. Left to right, the Steelers five starters are Max Starks, Chris Kemoeatu, Justin Hartwig, Trai Essex and Willie Colon. This is the same line, with the exception of Essex at right guard who replaced back-up Darnell Stapleton (since released), that was good enough to win the Super Bowl two years ago. This line was also good enough to average 4.2 yards per carry, right in the middle of the league, with a first year starter at running back and 8.4 yards per pass attempt, good for 2nd in the NFL. It is true that the line gave up too many sacks, but this is a byproduct of having an offense that is looking to throw the ball down the field and a quarterback who holds the ball waiting for plays to develop. The line is not an elite line in the NFL, but all five starters are capable players and should continue to improve with the continuity established last year. Depth is always a concern on the offensive line, but the Steelers do have 3rd round draft choice Kraig Urbik and promising second year player Ramon Foster in the fold. The Steelers should be addressing depth in the draft, but I see no reason to dive into the free agent market and overpay someone that may or may not be an upgrade.

The Steelers offense should once again be among the elite units in the league. Ben Roethlisberger is just entering the prime of his career and should once again be among the top five quarterbacks in the league. The weapons around Roethlisberger are many, and they are dynamic. Rashard Mendenhall will likely build upon the strong campaign he had last year, his first as a starter. Santonio and Hines are as productive as any WR tandem in the league and are complimented by big-play threat Mike Wallace, who should continue to improve in his second year. Heath is Heeaaaaathhhh, and the Steelers offensive line is better than given credit for. This should be a dynamic offense that will put up plenty of points. The only issues are depth, and a possible upgrade on the offensive line if a player the Steelers see fit is there with the 18th pick. These are issues that can and will be addressed in the draft and with second tier free agents. While the offense is set up nicely for the next few years, the defense is getting old. Check back tomorrow to see how I see the Steelers defense for next year and their plans for free agency on that side of the ball…