We are now just one week away from the official start of Steelers training camp. There have been several changes to the roster since the end of the 2023 season. Omar Khan has filled some holes, and upgraded some positions. There are still several questions surrounding this roster however. Let’s take a look at the five biggest questions heading into trading camp:
1. Who is wide receiver 2?
We couldn’t start this list without addressing this team’s biggest need heading into training camp. As we stand today, it looks like Van Jefferson will be this team’s number two receiver. Jefferson is coming off a miserable 2023 season where he caught only 12 balls for 101 yards. In fact the entire cast of receivers not named George Pickens had a total of 584 yards and 4 touchdowns. This is lees than ideal to say the least. The hope at this point is that Calvin Austin can have a breakout season in 2024. The likelihood of that happening is not great however. Austin is a very small receiver, and not built for the importance of blocking in the Arthur Smith offense.
There have been plenty of trade rumors regarding wide receivers since the draft. The Steelers have been as associated with just about every wideout rumor mentioned. Most notably the Brandon Aiyuk watch continues to grow. He recently was reported to have formally requested a trade from the 49ers. Until that happens, or any other acquisition of another wide receiver, this will be a significant weakness to this roster in 2024. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/40575505/wr-brandon-aiyuk-requests-trade-49ers-source-says
2. Cam Sutton suspended, back to square one at slot corner:
We had our issues with this signing even before the suspension was announced. After hearing it would be eight games, we like it even less. Signing Cam Sutton a bad look for the Steelers
Putting aside the obvious issues with what Cam Sutton did, on the field this was an absolute perfect fit for the Steelers. This team has no other experienced slot corner to speak of, and now with the suspension they are back with a gaping hole to fill. They have an undrafted free agent in Beanie Bishop, and two journeyman in Grayland Arnold and Josiah Scott left to man the position. With it being more and more common for multiple wide receiver sets, nickel corner has become a very important position. Will one of these players separate themselves as viable option at the slot until Sutton can return? Or will they be forced to go get another body to fill this position? This is definitely something to keep an eye on during Steelers training camp.
3. Will Justin Fields make this a serious quarterback competition?
Steelers brass has gone out of their way to let us know that Russell Wilson begins training camp as the starter. It’s a smart move to eliminate any quarterback controversy early on in camp. The question is can Justin Fields play well enough to create that controversy anyway? There’s no questioning Fields physical tools. He has everything you want in a quarterback in that regard. A strong arm, elite athleticism, and the size to be a successful quarterback in this league. Putting aside all the excuses in Chicago, it is time for Justin Fields to realize all his potential. It’s not like Russel Wilson is infallible as this team’s starter. If Fields can excel early on, it makes this training camp a whole lot more interesting.
4. What does the Arthur Smith offense look like in Pittsburgh?
How Arthur Smith builds his offense in Pittsburgh will be among the more fascinating things to watch during training camp. Does he stick with his normal offenses of the past? Does the Mike Tomlin influence change the way he calls plays? Has he learned from the failings in Atlanta? These are just some of the questions for this offense.
It seems clear that this will be a run first offense. It has been a staple of Arthur Smith’s offenses, and we know how much Mike Tomlin wants this as well. Play action should return after being pretty much ignored for years with previous OCs. After that, much is to be learned. One thing is clear, this is the first legit offensive coordinator since Todd Haley was let go. Hopefully this means a dramatic improvement on the field for this offense.
5. How does the tackle positions shake out?
The Pittsburgh Steelers have drafted tackles in the first round in each of the last two years. For most teams, this would mean they have drafted themselves two starting tackles. Not in Pittsburgh however. Despite trading up for Broderick Jones in the 2023 draft, he was left on the bench for the first half of the season. Only when Chuks Okorafor was benched for disciplinary reasons did Jones get on the field. Even then he was slotted at right tackle which is not his natural position.
Fast forward to 2024, and Mike Tomlin still refuses to commit to either of his young tackles as starters. While we all believe Jones will be on the left, and rookie Troy Fautanu will be on the right, we have no garuantee of that. Given Mike Tomlin’s reluctance to move on from veteran Dan Moore in the past, we might still be surprised to see him remain the starter. Prepare yourselves for any number of combinations on the Steelers offensive line in 2024.