Saunders: Khan, Weidl Finding Plenty of Beef on FA Menu
In addition to the free agent additions that Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan has made so far this offseason, let’s hope that he has also provided some extra bodies for Kevin Blinn, the team’s head chef at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
He might need them.
The Steelers agreed to terms with their ninth external free agent on Monday, adding former Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings Armon Watts. Watts is 6-f00t-5, 307 pounds and continues the trend of the Steelers’ free agent class adding to Chef Kev’s workload.
Of the nine players that the Steelers have added, five are 300 pounds or more: nose tackle Breiden Fehoko (300), guard Isaac Seumalo (303), Watts (307), tackle Le’Raven Clark (319) and guard Nate Herbig (334).
The Steelers also re-signed defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (305), and appear to be targeting more offensive and defensive linemen in the 2023 NFL Draft.
If NFL football is won in the the trenches, the Steelers have certainly invested quite a bit in terms of upgrading both lines already this offseason, and the influence of assistant general manager Andy Weidl, who came to Pittsburgh from the Philadelphia Eagles, has been clear.
The Eagles were built from the trenches out, and the Steelers sure seem to be following that same path in developing this squad.
The Steelers have brought in two offensive tackles, five interior offensive linemen, three interior defensive linemen and two edge rushers for pre-draft visits.
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Yes, the team has needs at cornerback, linebacker and wide receiver, but it seems nearly certain that at least one, and possibly more than one, of the team’s three top 50 draft picks will add to the growing collection of big boys on the South Side.
The Steelers showed a clear weakness in the trenches in 2022, and getting that shored up was job No. 1 for Khan and Weidl in their first full offseason. The job isn’t done yet, but they’re well on their way.
Sorry, Chef Kev. You might need to double up some buffet stations this year.
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