Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 offseason needs in 2019

1. Running back

There’s a widely held belief in NFL circles that the running back position is no longer important. That isn’t quite true. It’s still a crucial position in every offense in the NFL, it’s just not a position where you have to spend big to excel.

That’s the important distinction that the Steelers front office has to keenly understand this offseason. They replaced Le’Veon Bell adequately with James Conner last year, but they didn’t do a solid job of giving Conner a running back who could help him stay strong for the full season.

The Steelers won’t make that mistake next year. They’re going to make sure Roethlisberger has plenty of options at the running back position in 2019. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if Pittsburgh brings in two guys capable of spelling Conner before camp starts.

The ideal mix would be to add one reasonably accomplished free agent and one rookie with a late-round pick. In a perfect world, the two backs will be total opposites. One should be a bruiser capable of bludgeoning opponents into submission. The other needs to be a dynamic player capable of making big plays in space.

The Steelers don’t need to spend big at the running back position this offseason, but it still is a crucial spot for them to fix. This offense needs more production that Conner can provide by himself.