Steelers’ Omar Khan Already Making a Statement This Offseason
p/c: Trevor Ruszkowski - USA Today Sports
Following a 2-6 start last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers managed to win seven of their remaining nine games to finish above .500 at 9-8.
Because of the strong, second half turnaround, there was a good deal of optimism heading into the offseason.
This offseason marks Omar Khan’s first true offseason as Steelers general manager, and it hasn’t taken the 46-year-old executive long to put his stamp on things.
Although Pittsburgh lost Cam Sutton to the Detroit Lions, Khan didn’t waste anytime - replacing Sutton with veteran Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson.
The offensive line showed signs of improvement last year, as compared to 2021, but Khan decided to beef up the OL early by signing guards Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig.
Over the past few seasons, inside linebacker has been a weakness, for the Steelers, in terms of both talent and depth. The two notable additions are Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts.
Holcomb inked a three-year deal worth $18 million. He missed time with injury last season, but had himself a tremendous, ‘21 campaign in Washington.
Meanwhile, Roberts is coming off his best season, with the Miami Dolphins, as he recorded 107 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
Khan would make a couple more moves on Thursday - agreeing to sign safety Keanu Neal and nose tackle Breiden Fehoko.
The addition of Neal, along with in-house option Damontae Kazee, should make up for the loss of Terrell Edmunds, who decided to join the Philadelphia Eagles.
Fehoko will provide much needed depth on the Steelers’ DL. If given the opportunity, Fehoko could possibly give Pittsburgh a nice, depth piece.
The Steelers also brought back a key piece on the DL, with Larry Ogunjobi, who was re-signed for thee years at $28.75 million.
The early portion of the offseason has been very aggressive for Khan to say the least. More young talent will obviously be addressed through the draft, but bringing in key veterans will not only better the team in the current, but also allow rookies to develop and adapt to the organization, as they move forward. For Omar Khan and his staff, it’s definitely been a gold star regarding their efforts.