What are the Pittsburgh Steelers areas of need going into the 2016 season?
The Pittsburgh Steelers had a remarkably successful 2015 season, especially considering the number of injuries they suffered. Star running back Le’Veon Bell missed most of the season with a knee injury. Center Maurkice Pouncey missed the entire season after hurting his ankle in a preseason game. Offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum also suffered a season-ending injury early on. Other players, including wide receiver Antonio Brown, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and running back DeAngelo Williams were out for important games, effectively thwarting the Steelers’ hopes of a division championship.
Even if Pittsburgh’s entire squad is healthy for 2016, the team is facing several losses to free agency. Meanwhile, areas of deficiency, independent of the injury bug, became apparent as the 2015 season wore on. The Steelers’ secondary was one of the squad’s weak points, and the team was extremely vulnerable because of their absurdly weak backup quarterback situation.
During the first game against the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh’s secondary was ineffectual, failing to cover Rob Gronkowski on numerous occasions. While safety Mike Mitchell played much better than the year prior, when his groin was injured, and Ross Cockrell was a pleasant surprise at cornerback, the unit continued to struggle throughout the season. Some of their problems were related to on-field personnel, while others appeared related to coaching staff and defensive schemes.
The Steelers had enough depth at most positions to play well through injuries, but when Roethlisberger was hurt, the team had to count on backup quarterbacks Michael Vick and Landry Jones, both of whom, with few exceptions, were disastrous. Longing for the days of Charlie Batch, Pittsburgh’s most beloved backup quarterback, fans were rather disgusted with the lack of depth and ineptitude that rendered skill position players such as Antonio Brown almost completely useless (if you don’t have a reliable passer, your star wide receiver isn’t going to see much action).
The backup quarterback problem will likely persist throughout the offseason as the Steelers seek a longer-term, more reliable solution to Jones and Bruce Gradkowski. Other units, such as the secondary and offensive line, need to be bolstered through free agency and the draft sooner rather than later.
Next: Steelers free agents