Mike's Beer Bar War Room: Setting offseason objectives on offense

There are four teams left in contention for the Super Bowl. While a championship was not in the cards for the Steelers in 2023, things should be heating up around this organization, nonetheless. 

Mike Tomlin will be getting a contract extension. Tomlin and the Steelers organization will be hiring an offensive coordinator sooner than later. More on that move when it comes to fruition, but Zac Robinson is reportedly getting an interview for the position. Robinson would be an excellent candidate and a fine choice in what has become an absolutely critical hire for this organization. The Steelers also need to make massive decisions surrounding the quarterback position, of course. 

But what are a few other moves the Steelers can make on offense in the very near future? Here is a short to-do list to start taking action on: 

PICK UP NAJEE HARRIS' FIFTH-YEAR OPTION

This is a no-brainer. Under the latest collective bargaining agreement, the fifth-year option rules can be a little murky. But because of the amount of playing time Harris has accumulated over his career, he does not qualify for the basic tier. The basic tier pays running backs $5.9 million. But since Harris has yet to be voted to a Pro Bowl during his first three seasons (although he did go as an alternate), Harris does fall into the second-cheapest category for fifth-year option players, the playtime tier. That tier pays running backs $6.6 million. As is the case with all fifth-year options that are picked up, that money is guaranteed and there isn’t a signing bonus involved. 

Picking up this option should be an easy decision for the Steelers. Harris would play out his fourth year in the 2024 season and then be under contract for the $6.6 million guaranteed in 2025. Between Harris and Jaylen Warren, the Steelers would still have one of the cheaper running back rooms in the NFL, as well as one of the most productive. The Lions were the only other team with two running backs with 1,000-plus scrimmage yards. Harris and Warren combined for 404 carries for 1,819 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. No other Steelers ball carrier, including quarterbacks, had more than 57 rushing yards. Harris and Warren combined to catch 90 passes for 540 receiving yards.

Harris has started his career with three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons, the only ball carrier in Steelers history to accomplish that. He also is the only running back to have a three-year current streak of 1,000 rushing seasons in the entire NFL. Joe Mixon and Harris are the only two running backs in league with 1,200-plus scrimmage yards in each of the last three years. 

2023 was clearly Harris’ best season as a professional. Harris' explosive run rate was 10th best in the NFL. In the Steelers' wins this year, Harris averaged 4.3 yards per carry with eight rushing touchdowns compared to averaging 3.5 yards per carry and zero rushing touchdowns in their losses. Pittsburgh was also 7-0 when Harris scored a touchdown. Amongst running backs with 100-plus carries, Warren’s 5.3 yards per rush attempt was only behind Devon Achane and Christian McCaffrey. His explosive run rate ranked third and Warren’s rushing yards after first contact per attempt was second.

Running backs don’t last long in the NFL, and giving this position a long-term contract extension is almost always a bad idea, but the Steelers are in great shape here once they pick up Harris’ fifth-year option. 

Another aspect of what Harris brings to the table -- a Steelers running back trait for generations -- is physicality, toughness and the ability wear down opposing defenses. This run, amongst many others this past season, exemplify that perfectly. Harris is a load to tackle.

EXTEND PAT FREIERMUTH

Speaking of the Steelers' 2021 draft class, the second selection that year, Freiermuth, also should be part of the long-term plans.

Unlike Harris, Freiermuth is not coming off his best season. Freiermuth appeared in 11 regular season games and the playoff matchup against Buffalo. In 10 of those games, he had 44 receiving yards or less. But in the other two, Freiermuth combined for 196 receiving yards, with 19 of Freiermuth’s 55 total targets coming in those two games, as well. Freiermuth was targeted 47 times during the regular season. Of the 28 tight ends with at least that many targets, Freiermuth’s average depth of target was 17th highest, his targets per route run and yards per route run were 25th, his yards per reception was 23rd, and his yards after the catch per reception was 15th. That won’t cut it and he must be used better, but it also presents an excellent buy low opportunity for the Steelers when it comes to Freiermuth’s contract. 

When hiring their next offensive coordinator, it is of highest importance that the tight end position, but obviously Freiermuth in particular, becomes much more significant contributor in the Steelers' passing game. If you look at the remaining four teams in this year's playoffs, all of them feature the tight end more or as much as any offense in the league. He is only 25 years old. Tight ends usually don’t do their best work until about age 27. Lock this guy up now and get him more involved.

This is from the 2022 season, when Freiermuth was much more productive -- something the Steelers must prioritize getting back to next season. It’s a simple play, but Freiermuth gets off the ball quickly and attacks upfield between the numbers -- his specialty. 

BEEF UP THE O-LINE

The center and left tackle positions were not good enough in 2023. The Steelers must make it a priority to improve at both spots. 

Fortunately, it looks as though there are several very intriguing center prospects on the second day in this upcoming draft and it is also a deep group of free agent centers. It is also a rare draft for offensive tackles, something the Steelers should certainly set themselves up to capitalize on in April. We will assuredly get into the names that back this up down the line, but here are a few things to consider with the current linemen:

• Dan Moore would be better off at guard than tackle. He is a good run blocker and handles close quarters well but is simply too much of a liability out on the edge. Maybe his future is bumping into guard or just being the Steelers' sixth lineman next year, as he will certainly be on the roster.

• James Daniels has an extensive history, both with the Bears and in college, of playing center. He could bump to the pivot and Moore to right guard. It’s just an option to explore and gives the Steelers versatility with team building as well as when injuries kick in with the front five.

• The last thing to throw out there this offseason is the trading of Chukwuma Okorafor, who sure seems to have fallen out of favor with the Steelers. But Okorafor is an adequate starting right tackle. And adequate starting offensive tackles don’t grow on trees in the NFL. For the team that would trade for Okorafor, he brings just an $11.8 million dollar cap hit, which is very reasonable for even a slightly below average starting tackle. To pull this off, the Steelers might have to carry Okorafor until after this offensive tackle-rich draft or even into the preseason when injuries hit the league, but he might yield a mid-round pick in return from one of many tackle-starved teams around the league. Because he is a tackle, not an interior offensive lineman, Okorafor should bring back more in return than the late-round pick Kevin Dotson and Kendrick Green did a year ago. 

HAVE A CHAT WITH MASON RUDOLPH

This is surely going on, and it isn’t imperative that the Steelers get Rudolph locked up contractually before he is able to hit the open market. Heck, Rudolph might test the free agency waters and find it not to his liking, as he did a year ago. Clearly his stock is much higher now than after the 2022 season, but it would be interesting to see how the league views Rudolph from a financial standpoint.

This is going out on a limb, but here is guessing that the Steelers quarterback situation when entering camp will be Kenny Pickett, a capable competitor (such as Rudolph or the massively underrated free agent Jacoby Brissett, for example), and possibly a draft pick with upside with Mitch Trubisky released. That isn’t set in stone by any stretch of the imagination, and calling the Bears to see what it would cost to trade for Justin Fields is another thing that could be included here, but why not at least find out exactly how Rudolph, who also happens to have a relationship with Robinson with their Oklahoma State quarterback connections, values himself with the opportunity to compete with Pickett for the Steelers starting quarterback spot? 

The combination of Pickett, Rudolph/Brissett and a mid-round rookie might not make Steelers fans do cartwheels, but it would allow the team to spend at other positions, particularly in the defensive backfield. And frankly, if the offensive coordinator hiring goes well, that in and of itself could go a long way to fixing the quarterback position. And, if that quarterback room ends up being a disaster in 2024, none of this might matter and the Steelers could be picking early in the following draft and very much in the quarterback market once again. 

Rudolph helps set the tone early in this win against Cincinnati. The pass to George Pickens isn’t perfect in terms of ball placement, but more importantly, it is on time perfectly within the design of the play. Yards after the catch is as much of a quarterback stat as it is receiver stat. Pickens certainly does great things here with the ball in his hands, but Rudolph makes it possible with his timing.