The 2014 Pittsburgh Steelers started slow, but ended as one of the hottest teams in all of football. The only problem came when Le’Veon Bell went down with a knee injury before the playoffs.
The loss contributed to the first-round exit at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens, a team they had scored six touchdowns against earlier in the season. It certainly was not the way Steelers fans wanted the season to end, but it begins an offseason full of questions for the veteran team.
2015 Free Agents
Jason Worilds, Linebacker: The 26-year-old was strong in his fifth season with the Steelers, recording 59 tackles and a team-high 7.5 sacks. He can be useful if the Steelers choose to bring him back, but if not, there will certainly be a hole at the outside linebacker spot.
Ike Taylor, Cornerback: Taylor has been a staple in the Steelers’ secondary for over a decade, but the time has come to decide whether to continue to suffer a large cap hit or let him go. Taylor is 34 and played in just five games this season. It seems like Taylor will have to either restructure his contract or find work elsewhere.
Arthur Moats, Linebacker: Moats is another on the list of defensive free agents for the Steelers. He had only 23 tackles and four sacks, and will be subject to a smaller role with the team. If Moats wants to see a bigger role, he might be able to find a larger deal with another team.
Brice McCain, Cornerback: McCain signed a one-year deal with the team after a few seasons with the Houston Texans, but was impressive in his time. He tied for the team lead with three interceptions and added 25 tackles. At 28, the Steelers may want to sign him long-term.
Five-Biggest Need Areas
Outside linebacker: Despite having guys like James Harrison, Worilds and Moats, the Steelers finished 26th in the league with 33 sacks. They’ll likely want to get younger and quicker through free agency and the draft. Keep in mind, Jarvis Jones will be back next season.
Cornerback: The Steelers are getting older, and fast. With Taylor and McCain potentially gone after this offseason, the Steelers will need to find depth and skill at the position. It wasn’t a strong point on the roster last season, so look for a revamped unit next season.
Tight end: Yes, I know the Steelers have Heath Miller, who has been extremely reliable in his time with the Steelers. However, the trend is leaning toward more athletic tight ends like Rob Gronkowski, and this team just doesn’t have that. An athletic tight end could open this offense up even more.
Running back: Obivously, we’re not looking at a replacement to Le’Veon Bell this offseason. However, we saw in the playoffs that the Steelers were not ready to play without him. Finding a solid backup should be a goal for this offseason.
Offensive tackle: The Steelers line wasn’t all that bad this year, but it could benefit from some added depth. With Kelvin Beachum, Marcus Gilbert and Maurkice Pouncey in the fold, don’t expect there to be any large signing. More likely a draft pick.
Potential Offseason Breakout Star
Martavis Bryant, Wide Receiver: If Bryant hasn’t already made a name for himself in this league, he’ll likely become the second receiver for the Steelers next season. He had eight touchdowns last season, and he might add on that in 2015.
2015 NFL Draft Selections
Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
Alex Carter, CB, Stanford
Mike Davis, RB, South Carlina
Tyler Kroft, TE, Rutgers
Jordan Hicks, OLB, Texas
Sean Hickey, OT, Syracuse
Full Off-Season Primer
The Steelers have good strong for so long, but the era of Troy Polamalu and the vaunted defense is over. Now, it will be up to this organization to rebuild this defense and add weapons to the offense. It will still be a successful team next year, but the degree of success is in question.