The Steelers might not be done signing free agents, but it’s already been their busiest free agent period since the advent of NFL free agency in 1993.
The Steelers so far have signed eight outside free agents as general manager Omar Khan retools the roster in his first season in the big chair. Khan has overhauled his linebacker room and half of his secondary while also reshaping the interior of his offensive line.
Last year’s starting inside linebackers — Devin Bush, Robert Spillane and Myles Jack are out — replaced by Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts. In the defensive backfield, cornerback Cam Sutton and safety Terrell Edmunds are gone, and veterans Patrick Peterson and Keanu Neal are in. In addition, Breiden Fehoko was signed to compete with Montravius Adams at nose tackle.
Khan wasn’t afraid to tinker with the offensive line, either. He signed guard Isaac Seumalo to be a starter and added Nate Herbig and Le’Raven Clark as depth players while J.C. Hassenauer, Jesse Davis and Trenton Scott — the top three reserves last season — were not re-signed.
Khan putting his own stamp on the roster shouldn’t come as a big surprise. After succeeding Tom Donahoe in 2000, Kevin Colbert signed five free agents in his first year on the job, a number he did not exceed until his final year on the job. (The Steelers signed seven outside free agents last year, but Khan signed Larry Ogunjobi in the summer after he was named GM.)
Colbert signed defensive linemen Kimo von Oelhoffen and Chris Sullivan, offensive lineman Rich Tylski, quarterback Kent Graham and safety Brent Alexander shortly after he was hired.
Of those five signings, two became key pieces in Colbert’s rebuild. Von Oelhoffen was a starter for six seasons and Alexander four. The following spring, Colbert signed Jeff Hartings, who started at center for the next six seasons.
Colbert drafted four more starters in his first two drafts — receiver Plaxico Burress and tackle Marvel Smith in 2000 and nose tackle Casey Hampton and linebacker Kendrell Bell in 2001. In two years, Colbert added seven starters through either free agency or the draft, and they were integral in the team’s turnaround.
Von Oelhoffen, Hartings, Hampton and Smith were starters on the Super Bowl XL team. Hampton and Smith also started on the Super Bowl XLIII team, though Smith suffered a season-ending injury in October and did not play in the playoffs.
Colbert took over in 2000 after Donahoe lost a power struggle with head coach Bill Cowher. Khan took the reins after Colbert decided to retire, but there are some similar circumstances.
The Steelers missed the playoffs two years in a row before Colbert took over and hadn’t won a Super Bowl in 20 years. The Steelers missed the playoffs in three of the final five years under Colbert, and the team is currently in its longest playoff victory drought (six years) since the NFL merger in 1970. It’s been 14 years since the Steelers won a Super Bowl.
Kahn’s assistant general manager is Andy Weidl, who coincidentally was hired by Donahoe in 1998 and worked for the Steelers for two years. (He departed for a job with the Saints before Colbert was hired.)
Weidl, who worked in Philadelphia’s front office from 2016-21, had a big hand in the Steelers signing Seumalo, Herbig and Clark, all former Eagles. He’s a big believer in building rosters from the inside-out.
It remains to be seen how many players in this year’s free agent class are long-term starters. Khan and Weidl also have seven picks, including four in the top 80, in a deep draft.
They’ve already begun to transform the roster, and they’ll have ample opportunity later this month to obtain players they hope will be part of a turnaround. It took Colbert only two years to have the Steelers back in the AFC championship game and six years before he delivered a Lombardi Trophy.
Khan and Weidl haven’t been shy about implementing new ideas and making changes. Time will tell if they can deliver, too.
Ray Fittipaldo: rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @rayfitt1.
First Published: April 5, 2023, 12:00 p.m.