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Heading into 2022, there are 14 groups whose largest cap hit on offense is their quarterback. There are seven groups whose largest cap hit on offense is an offensive lineman. Six groups are spending probably the most on a large receiver. Three on a good finish (JAX, MIA, NE) and one on a working again (CIN). That makes 31 groups. The one crew left is the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Their highest-paid offensive participant in 2022 shall be their fullback, Derek Watt. Watt has a $4,713,334 cap hit hooked up to him this 12 months. That’s greater than beginning proper sort out Chukwuma Okorafor ($4,333,333 cap hit), greater than Diontae Johnson ($3,073,357), greater than Najee Harris ($2,965,329), and sure, it’s greater than any quarterback on their roster.
Like what on Earth are the Steelers pondering?
Pittsburgh has the seventh-most cap house within the NFL proper now and there are nonetheless some very strong free brokers on the market. J.C. Tretter is an elite middle, and he’s out there for the Steelers to take! Their present middle Mason Cole is okay within the run recreation, however was persistently decimated as a move blocker final 12 months. Go signal Tretter! Deal with Duane Brown definitely isn’t what he as soon as was, however a minimum of he’s a confirmed vet and would most likely be an improve over third-round decide Dan Moore. That’s simply the linemen.
The crew misplaced JuJu Smith-Schuster this offseason, they usually may actually use one other passing weapon to assist ease rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett into the league. Odell Beckham Jr. remains to be there. Julio Jones, Will Fuller, hell, I do know TE Pat Freiermuth confirmed quite a lot of promise final 12 months, however there’s no hurt in choosing up Rob Gronkowski while you’ve bought virtually $20 million in cap house left. All of those guys may most likely be signed for lowered offers too! Simply don’t go into 2022 paying your fullback greater than anybody else on offense!
Watt solely noticed the sphere on seven p.c of offensive snaps final season. SEVEN PERCENT! He may as properly be a stray cat storming the sphere at that proportion! Watt noticed the sphere almost 4 instances extra typically on particular groups than offense. In 2021, he noticed 86 offensive snaps and 332 particular groups snaps. He’s just about completely a particular teamer and he’s your highest-paid offensive participant. That’s simply embarrassing.
How do you let that occur? How do you even pay your fullback over 4 million {dollars} to start with? There’s no denying that San Francisco’s Kyle Juszczyk is the perfect fullback in soccer. He has been for a number of years now. He’s making lower than three million in 2022. Juszczyk does have that profitable Incogmeato deal going for him, although, so perhaps he’s prepared to take a smaller wage. That’s a joke in fact. His deal is backlogged and he’s going to make greater than six million in 2023, however the factors I’m attempting to make nonetheless stand.
- Watt shouldn’t be making almost as a lot cash as he’s in 2022
- The Steelers must spend extra on offense
The extra I have a look at this Steelers crew, the extra I feel that their entrance workplace has already determined to throw within the towel for 2022.
They’ve made zero effort to lengthen Diontae Johnson. And so they didn’t handle their offensive line within the draft, which was an enormous drawback final 12 months and a giant motive why Najee Harris averaged lower than 4 yards per carry final season, the third-worst of any halfback in 2021 with a minimum of 200 carries (James Conner, Alvin Kamara).
I suppose the crew nonetheless has time to make a splash earlier than the season begins, however they’ve already had a number of alternatives to take action and haven’t made a sound. They’re in arguably the hardest division in soccer and haven’t had a shedding report since 2003, but the crew appears content material with the place it’s at.
Over the past 20 or so years, I’ve discovered to by no means wager in opposition to the Pittsburgh Steelers, however paying a fullback greater than anybody else on offense in 2022? That’s blasphemy to the best diploma, and it shouldn’t shock anybody that they’ve bought the bottom odds to win the AFC North subsequent 12 months (+1100), greater than 5 instances increased than the subsequent closest crew, the Baltimore Ravens (+210).
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