It’s easy to be excited about the offseason moves that the Pittsburgh Steelers have made thus far. A strong number two wide receiver in Michael Pittman Jr., a back-to-back 1,000 yard rusher in Rico Dowdle and experienced secondary depth in Jaquan Brisker and Jamel Dean highlight the moves that the Steelers have made to plug holes at positions of need with capable players.
What grade does Pittsburgh deserve for their moves to this point? John Breech of CBS Sports had a positive takeaway.
“I gave the Steelers a B+ and to be honest, I might have made that an A if they had their quarterback situation figured out. They absolutely crushed it,” Breech said for an AFC North free agency grade exercise. “They had to get that strong number two receiver that they’ve been trying to get for like two years. They went out and traded for Michael Pittman. They gave up almost nothing. That’s a great deal. Then they go get Rico Dowdle of course… He’s got a running style that’s kind of bruising so he can take some pressure off of Aaron Rodgers. Then you look at that Steelers defense, they really needed to beef up the secondary. They got Jamel Dean, one of the top corners in free agency. They picked up a couple safeties.
“I really like everything the Steelers did.”
Despite losing team MVP Kenneth Gainwell and starting left guard Isaac Seumalo in free agency, the Steelers have fared well in this offseason, albeit with questions about QB Aaron Rodgers still looming. While the bulk of free agency is likely behind us, Pittsburgh holds 12 picks in next month’s draft with the opportunity to continue to add to their offseason haul.
The B+ grade that we bestowed upon the Steelers’ offseason exploits is the top grade in the AFC North. The Cincinnati Bengals were the next best grade with a B- in large part due to their defensive signings. Bryan Cook, Boye Mafe, and Jonathan Allen are all strong additions to Cincinnati’s defense, which is in need of a facelift after last season’s struggles.
The Bengals will have to attempt to rebound without star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson who departed for the Baltimore Ravens who received a C+ grade for their moves so far. The significant departures outnumber the key signings for the Ravens as names like Tyler Linderbaum, Isaiah Likely, Alohi Gilman and Patrick Ricard are just some of the contributors to leave Baltimore.
After backing out of the Maxx Crosby trade, at least Baltimore no longer has to give up two first round picks.
The Cleveland Browns round out the list with a C grade for their free agency moves. The Browns’ major moves this offseason were to shore up their offensive line, acquiring Elgton Jenkins, Tytus Howard, and Zion Johnson. Cleveland also signed former Jets linebacker Quincey Williams in what was a quiet offseason lacking many headlines.
Of course, winning the offseason doesn’t always translate to winning on the field.
Typically, the best moves tend to be the under-the-radar moves that become great value instead of the flashy, big-money signings. The Steelers seem to have accomplished their goals in free agency and as attention turns to the draft, they can only hope to carry out their vision for the rest of the offseason.