Let's get to it:
KEN MAULDIN FROM CLYDE, TX: Is this the largest group of free agents in the history of the Steelers?
ANSWER: The Steelers' 25 free agents in the three categories – unrestricted, restricted, exclusive rights – for the 2025 offseason is a fairly representative total compared to recent years. The Steelers had 24 free agents in the three categories in the 2022 offseason, 23 in the 2023 offseason, and 18 in the 2024 offseason. The complete list of 2025 free agents appears below.
UNRESTRICTED
QB Kyle Allen
OT Calvin Anderson
G James Daniels
QB Justin Fields
RB Najee Harris
CB C.J. Henderson
C Nate Herbig
CB Donte Jackson
WR Van Jefferson
SS Damontae Kazee
DE Isaiahh Loudermilk
ILB Tyler Matakevich
WR Scotty Miller
OT Dan Moore Jr.
CB James Pierre
TE MyCole Pruitt
ILB Elandon Roberts
G Max Scharping
WR Ben Skowronek
CB Cameron Sutton
WR Mike Williams
QB Russell Wilson
RESTRICTED
RB Jaylen Warren
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS
C Ryan McCollum
OLB Jeremiah Moon
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TERRY WAIBEL FROM DAYTONA BEACH, FL: With many teams utilizing a variation of the tush-push to gain a yard on third-and-1, why did we not incorporate a similar play? We seemed to have failed in that situation at crucial times in several games. Darnell Washington under center would seem to be a challenge to the opposing defense.
ANSWER: When it comes to versions of the tush-push, I believe too much attention is paid to the player who ends up with the ball when judging how successful it can be. I focus more on the capability of the offensive line to move people off the line of scrimmage in an obvious down-and-distance situation where formation is declaring the play to the defense before the snap. The interior of the Steelers offensive line, in my opinion, wasn't of the same caliber as Philadelphia's or Baltimore's, and that's why I have been reluctant to endorse adopting the play/tactic.
RAY GREHOFSKY FROM BLACKSBURG, VA: The Steelers got very few if any snaps from 3 of last year's draft choices due to injury, and I thought that was fairly significant to this year's final result. How do you feel that impacted 2024 and do you see an upside next year in that those three will almost be like new additions who have now at least seen the course/journey of an NFL season?
ANSWER: You reference 3 draft picks from 2024, and the ones I believe fall into the category you describe are No. 1 pick Troy Fautanu and No. 3a pick Roman Wilson. Fautanu's injury thinned the depth of the offensive line, particularly at the tackle position, and the selection of Roman Wilson with the 84th overall selection was part of the wide-ranging plan to bolster the talent level at wide receiver following the trade of Diontae Johnson. It's going to be required of them to show significant improvement in 2025, both because of the draft capital invested in them and because it will be their second year in an NFL environment. The negative is that since both were on injured reserve, there was very little experience gleaned from participating in the meaningful day-to-day things that go on during an NFL season. Remember how Calvin Austin III was still on the raw side during most of the year after he missed his entire rookie season (2022) with an injury? Austin played in all 17 games in 2023 and finished with 17 catches for 180 yards (10.6 average).
ERIC HANSEN FROM DEATH VALLEY, CA: How significant is it that the Steelers did not score an opening drive touchdown this season?
ANSWER: I think it's revealing in the sense of an indicator of a larger problem for the Steelers offense in 2024, rather than being significant on its own. During a 7-game stretch that began with a Sunday night date with the New York Jets, the Steelers offense averaged 28.4 points per, and at times it was efficient running the football and at other times was dynamic throwing the football. In none of those 7 games did the Steelers score a touchdown on their opening drive, but that has no meaning in a game when they ended up with 44 points and 520 total yards, as happened in Cincinnati. In the games when the offense didn't hold up its end, their issues went beyond not scoring a touchdown on their opening possession the opening possession, to things such as problems converting third downs to maintain possession, penalties or sacks or other lost-yardage plays that made those third down situations more difficult, mental mistakes, red zone failures. Why did they happen? Those are the things that are significant.
DAN McNEEL FROM MANCHESTER, NH: Does this season's end hammer home just how awful the Artie Burns selection was? Artie Burns was chosen when Derek Henry was still on the board. Just sayin'.
ANSWER: Artie Burns, a cornerback from Miami, was the Steelers' No. 1 pick (25th overall) in the 2016 NFL Draft, and RB Derrick Henry from Alabama was picked by Tennessee in the second round (45th overall). Now for some of the context you ignore. In 2015, the Steelers starting RB was Le'Veon Bell, who played that season as a 23-year-old. In 2016 and 2017 combined, Bell rushed for 2,559 yards on 582 carries (4.4 average) and 16 touchdowns to go along with 160 receptions for 1,271 yards (7.9 average) and 4 more touchdowns. The cornerbacks on the 2015 Steelers included Will Gay, Antwon Blake, Doran Grant, Ross Cockrell, Brandon Boykin, and Cortez Allen. Just so I'm clear, you now advocate drafting a running back in 2016, a position where the Steelers had a guy who was a first-team All-Pro in 2014 and would be again in 2017, instead of picking a cornerback to fortify a position manned in 2015 by Will Gay and a bunch of journeymen. Burns had 3 interceptions and 13 passes defensed in 9 starts as a rookie, but that turned out to be his best NFL season. If your point had been that the Steelers missed by picking Burns instead of CB Xavien Howard, who went 38th overall to Miami in the same draft, or CB James Bradberry, who went 62nd overall to Carolina, I would've been willing to consider your submission as something other than a cherry-picking of facts via the rearview mirror. Just sayin'.
RICHARD KOVAL FROM BRUCETON MILLS, WV: Will the steelers have any compensatory draft picks this year?
ANSWER: Compensatory picks that will be awarded for the 2025 NFL Draft come as the result of a formula based on what happened during free agency in 2024. That formula takes into account unrestricted free agents lost vs. unrestricted free agents signed, and the amounts of those players' contracts; trades don't matter. In 2024, the contract signed by ILB Patrick Queen was significant, and the Steelers didn't lose any unrestricted free agents who signed for much more than the league minimum based on their years of experience. So I don't expect the Steelers to get much, if anything, in the way of compensatory picks for the upcoming draft.
ROBERT SNYDER FROM DENTON, MD: If the Steelers were interested in moving up in the draft, to say the top 8 or so, to select a quarterback, would trading George Pickens and a No. 2 pick be enough compensation? I understand that it's all relative to what a team is willing to give, but in general terms of what has been dealt in the past, would it be reasonable?
ANSWER: In my opinion, the cost for a team to move up from 21st overall to 8th overall in an NFL Draft would start with multiple first-round picks and then go from there. I also would encourage fans to pump the brakes on the idea that trading George Pickens is going to bring a bounty in return. Pickens is going into the last year of his rookie deal, and because he wasn't a No. 1 pick there is no fifth-year option available to be picked up. I don't see a team giving up a whole lot for him without a contract extension in place. Trading Pickens still might happen, but pairing him with a No. 2 pick to move up into the top 10 in the first round wouldn't be nearly enough.
