Steelers Update on Pennlive PennLive

The offseason additions of inside linebacker Patrick Queen and strong safety DeShon Elliott could prove to be a win-win not only by making the Steelers that much stronger, but also by sapping some defensive strength and savvy from the rival Ravens. Queen is being handed the keys to the Steelers defense.
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All those Yinzers in Pittsburgh flooded sports-talk phone lines with howls of protest after news of their head coach inking a new 3-year contract extension broke earlier this week. When they look at Tomlin, they see this: A past-his-prime coach whose word salad pronouncements are meant to be pithy, put come off tired and stale. Worse, Tomlin isn’t a winner. He’s a non-loser who is now under water in the playoffs with an 8-10 career mark and is absent a postseason victory since 2016.
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Defensive tackle Cam Heyward, the Steelers’ first-round pick way back in 2011, wants to cap his stellar career with a big, new contract. Problem is, guys at his position, his age (35) and coming of a serious injury (groin) and two surgeries just don’t get big money deals laden with guaranteed cash. As football investments go, this one is fraught with peril for the Steelers.
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The Steelers’ somewhat surprising move on running back Najee Harris has spawned plenty of conspiracy theories in Pittsburgh. Among them: New GM Omar Khan is actively attempting to oust all of the players procured by his predecessor, Kevin Colbert. Najee, who won’t get his fifth-year option picked up, is just the latest to be thrown overboard. 
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The Steelers A+ 2024 draft is being universally hailed. They retooled their subpar offensive line, turning a weakness into a strength for the next decade. They snagged a nifty wide receiver who’s being called the second-coming of Hines Ward. And they pulled off the biggest heist of the draft in the fourth round by taking a tough-nosed inside linebacker who Luke Kuechly called a bigger, faster version of himself. So what if Payton Wilson is missing an ACL in one of his knees! The future is bright – right? I guess it depends how far into the future Steelers fans are gazing. 
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Omar Khan’s 23 months since being anointed the Steelers GM, following Kevin Colbert’s post 2022-draft retirement, has been a masterclass of maximizing return and minimizing risk. Khan set the tone for his eyebrow-raising, now cheer-inducing tenure when he sent underperforming receiver Chase Claypool packing to Chicago in return for the Bears’ second-round pick in the 2023 draft. That selection turned to gold as the Bears kept losing and the pick kept trending upward. When all was said and done, it settled at No. 32 – technically a first rounder since the Patriots had to forfeit their selection. With it, Khan brought Joey Porter Jr., the Penn State cornerback with a Steelers legacy, home. It became the highlight of a stellar Steelers’ draft that produced contributors, if not starters, across the board. Khan’s moves helped propel the 2023 team into the playoffs. Now, Khan’s overriding goal is to add enough talent to take the 2024 team a step further and actually win a postseason contest for the first time in seven insufferable seasons. 
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