Williamson: Steelers quietly solidify roster with Super Bowl in sight

Matt Williamson is a former scout for the Cleveland Browns and spent the last 10 years at ESPN as a scout and co-host of "The Football Today Podcast."

When done properly, free agency sets up strong teams to more or less pick the best players available in the draft and not have to reach for major position needs. That's exactly how the Steelers have set themselves up after a few shrewd signings at key positions. That's how you handle the free-agency game.

What the Steelers have done thus far doesn’t look overwhelming, especially when comparing it to the bevy of huge moves being made around the league these past few days. But this is a team that doesn’t need a lot to be a contender.

Let’s examine these small moves and the major effect they could have on the roster and upcoming additions.

Offense

Injuries were a huge problem for Pittsburgh’s offense last year, but this is a loaded group. In fact, it might be the best offense in the league.

The Steelers not only maintained status quo with their offensive line by retaining Ramon Foster, but became more dynamic at tight end by snagging Ladarius Green. They also secured Darrius Heyward-Bey, a core special teamer, as their fifth wide receiver.

Pittsburgh will get Maurkice Pouncey back from injury at center, and while it could lose Kelvin Beachum, Andrew Villanueva was a nice surprise starting at left tackle while Beachum was injured. Villanueva should only improve going forward, especially with Mike Munchak coaching him up. You could do a lot worse than Villanueva as the weakest link of an excellent offensive line.

At tight end, the Steelers, more than most teams, have looked for a true two-way inline tight end in the Heath Miller mold. Not that they needed more receiving weapons, but that is exactly what they added in Green, who isn’t nearly the blocker Miller was, but is a true downfield threat with great length and speed.

Defense

Pittsburgh will probably lock up a nose tackle before the draft. Steve McLendon would be the obvious choice to bring back and he wouldn’t be super expensive, but there are a few other candidates on the market, like Terrence Knighton and former Steeler Al Woods.

The Steelers’ secondary wasn’t loaded with great players last year and has been heavily scrutinized. But Pittsburgh isn’t looking to spend big on the back end with free-agency or draft capital. Instead, the Steelers need smart players who don’t make mistakes and have a great understanding of their scheme, which is a series of complex matchup zones. Much like Seattle or Carolina, Pittsburgh rarely uses early-round picks at cornerback and it has worked quite well in the big picture for this franchise.

That isn’t to say the Steelers’ weakest area couldn’t use an upgrade, but they did bring back familiar faces William Gay, who will start at one cornerback spot, and Robert Golden, who has played well when given the chance and is an elite special teams player. Golden may end up as Pittsburgh’s starting strong safety.

More work will be done on this secondary and there is a chance Pittsburgh releases Cortez Allen, although that seems more and more unlikely. But the Steelers also get their talented, but undersized, second-round pick from a year ago, Senquez Golson, back from injury. Golson missed the entire year, but spent that time learning the system. Ross Cockrell, a nice pickup who played solid football last year, also is back for depth and stability.

Overall, these moves don’t look overly impressive. And, frankly, they are not. But the beauty here is in the subtlety and what it sets the Steelers up to do in the draft. As mentioned above, the offense is absolutely loaded, but it would probably be a good idea to use a pick in the top four rounds on the offensive line, preferably at tackle. Pittsburgh will also likely sign a veteran backup quarterback like Brian Hoyer.

Then, more or less, the rest of the draft class can be dedicated to the defensive side of the ball, where they can take advantage of an extremely deep and talented defensive line class.

Beware of Pittsburgh in 2016.