Tim Benz: Credit where credit's due. Steelers at least trying to act with the urgency they promised

After the Pittsburgh Steelers concluded their 2023 season — the seventh year in a row without a playoff win — owner Art Rooney II stated that the team was operating with a sense of urgency this offseason in an effort to end that drought.

“I think there’s an urgency,” Rooney said in January. “I think everybody, myself, Mike (Tomlin), guys that have been on the team for a while, T.J. (Watt), Cam (Heyward), everybody, we’ve had enough of this. It’s time to get some wins. It’s time to take these next steps. So, yeah, I think there’s some urgency here, for sure.”

There was plenty of reason to be dubious of that statement at the time. Rooney and the rest of the front office have repeatedly stood by Tomlin as a head coach despite stewarding the franchise’s longest playoff-win drought since the Immaculate Reception.

The organization has done nothing but promote or retain offensive coordinators (Randy Fichtner and Matt Canada) since Todd Haley was fired after the 2017 season. The last defensive coordinator chosen outside of the organization was rehiring Dick LeBeau before the 2004 season.

Prior to last season, the Steelers were willing to spend big money to retain their own players in free agency but rarely spent big on the open market. Even when they got lots of credit for acquiring new players in free agency last offseason, their assets were largely spent on guards, second-tier inside linebackers, and short-term veteran contracts in the secondary and along the defensive line.

So, when it came to Rooney’s decree, skepticism was warranted.

But let’s give credit where credit’s due. It’s apparent the Steelers are at least trying to shake things up in 2024. It’s not often an NFL team dismisses three quarterbacks in one offseason, especially when all three started multiple games on a playoff team the previous year.

However, Mitch Trubisky was released, Mason Rudolph was allowed to leave via free agency, and Kenny Pickett was traded just two years after the organization made him its No.1 pick in 2022.

The franchise filled those voids by signing a nine-time Pro Bowler in Russell Wilson and acquiring former first-round pick Justin Fields — who is entering his fourth year — in a trade with Chicago.

That’s acting urgently.

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Well, it’s urgent by Steelers standards, mind you. Their QB depth chart shake-up is drastic. Although, the cost is anything but that. Wilson and Fields combine to eat up just $4.5 million of the salary cap. That’s a pittance for the top two QBs on any depth chart.

That said, at least the Steelers finally spent big money in free agency at inside linebacker by signing Patrick Queen for $13 million a year. That’s after six years of trying to replace Ryan Shazier in any other way possible.

Plus, the team signed return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson on Tuesday, just a few hours after the new kick return rules went into place.

“I don’t necessarily consider myself or describe myself as aggressive,” general manager Omar Khan said at the NFL meetings in Orlando on Monday. “I owe it to the Steelers Nation to do everything I can to get to the Super Bowl. … I’m confident by the time we get to the season we’ll have the right 53 guys for us.”

Also, the Steelers made a statement by washing their hands of players who were building a reputation of being malcontents. Pickett wanted a trade after the Wilson signing. They got him out of town.

Tomlin insists Diontae Johnson didn’t ask for a trade before he was shipped to Carolina for Donte Jackson. Believe that if you wish. But after some griping last year, his public support for Rudolph, who is now gone, and his lack of effort during a series in Cincinnati, the Steelers felt it was best to move him.

That trade is risky. I tend to think that Johnson is going to be a better receiver in Charlotte than Jackson is going to be a good cornerback in Pittsburgh. However, the statement made by moving someone who can be disruptive or occasionally shows lackluster effort may be worth the exchange of talent.

Regardless, in their own way, the Steelers are acting with urgency. It should make the club at least a slightly better team in 2024, and that’s before we even get to the draft or any additions that may be made late in the summer.

“Every year we try to figure out how we get better and how do we get better as quickly as possible,” Rooney II said Tuesday at the conclusion of the NFL annual meetings. “I think that’s the bottom line — try to get better as quickly as possible.”

Sure, it’s possible both Wilson and Fields flame out here. It wouldn’t be the first time this franchise swung and missed at quarterback.

But tip your hat to the club for at least following through on a mission statement. Now it’s time to finish the mission successfully.

For the first time since 2016, it’d be nice if the mission ended with a playoff win instead of just avoiding a losing season.