The Steelers pantry isn’t bare, but it’s not all that exciting yet

Have you ever gone to your pantry rummaging around for something to eat, but nothing sounds good? That’s the same feeling the Steelers must have had when looking at the list of their own players hitting free agency this year. Most have been allowed to leave or are sitting in NFL purgatory waiting to see what their future holds. Other than not retaining Elandon Roberts, who was one of the few defensive players that remembered the Ravens playoff game was not changed to two-hand touch rules, there were no real surprises on those no longer wearing the Black and Gold.

So the pantry is filled with foods you are tired of eating, but you check the bank account and it’s payday. You run to town, but the shelves are bare. You have all this spending money, and all you can find are things you already have or items that are close to the expiration date. That’s how it feels now with the current state of the salary cap and lack of big name free agents. They found the fancy dessert first with DK Metcalf, and since then some pieces have been nice, but nothing you’d invite friends and family over to show off your culinary skills.

Re-signing Scotty Miller was somewhat surprising, but if Aaron Rodgers does make a decision before September gets here, perhaps he can make better use of Miller’s speed that Fields or Wilson did. Besides, Allen Lazard is still on the Jets roster and Devonte Adams is with the Rams, so Rodgers can’t bring his ready-mix batch of pass catchers with him this time.

If Rodgers and the Steelers do not come to an agreement, the team has the left-overs stuck way in the back of the fridge with Mason Rudolph. Familiar, no surprises, everyone in the house likes it, even if it is a bit boring. Mason is a solid back-up. There is some football justice if he actually gets a legitimate shot at being the full time starter in Pittsburgh, but football justice does not win a team games. Mason can look great for a stretch, then will start bouncing 10 yard out routes in the grass short-arming passes and give up sack-fumbles with a pocket awareness that can be severely lacking at times. The schedule is hard once again this year. I would love to see Mason start and do well, but I think the over .500 win streak conversation would finally be put to bed if he starts the entire season.

Juan Thornhill seems like a sleeper pick-up that could be a real difference maker in the secondary. However, I grew suspicious of why the Browns would release a guy like that. I found a news article on NFL.com where the Browns GM stated that Thornhill was a great guy and player, but calf injuries kept him off the field for multiple games in two straight seasons. Uh-oh…the Steelers know all about calf injuries, and let’s all hope that isn’t a repeat storyline for that body part in 2025.

The roster feels solid, at least, and the draft should bring reinforcements along the defensive line and running back positions. A Mason Rudolph led season feels like a very Mike Tomlin thing to do, safe and predictable, lean on the defense and hope for the best with minimum surprises. I know Arthur Smith, if hooked up to an IV of truth serum, would probably say he’d much rather deal with the limitations of Mason compared to the potential defiance of Rodgers. Looking at the QB options in the draft this year, I’d still rather have Joe Milton as the backup in waiting to Mason. Now that would be exciting, a real life Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn situation. Forget the old saying about not being able to hit a barn door…Milton has the arm strength to blow a hole in the barn door and still get it to you out in the pasture down by the pond. I keep hearing the criticism that Milton hasn’t started a game, but minus the opening series, he played a whole game last year and looked amazing in it. That’s a game more than the somewhat lacking crop of rookies can claim.

Even with new quarterbacks running the show in 2024, there were times when the offense became extremely conservative and boring. If I were not a ride or die Steelers fan, I would have been shutting off the TV and going out to enjoy the day. How the season will go is anyone’s guess. Right now all I can hope for is that it is exciting and fun to watch. Are there any free agents or potential trades that you think would make watching the games more exciting this year? Perhaps some off-the-radar players that aren’t necessarily being talked about, but would bring some much needed pazazz to the game on either side of the ball? Drop who you’d go after in the comments to kick things up a notch. Who knows, with the cap space and holes to fill, maybe one will end up giving us something to cheer about on Sundays this fall.