The Pittsburgh Steelers have to feel rather decent about what they were able to do in the NFL Draft, and it was an impressive offseason overall for the organization. Unfortunately, the biggest question remaining has still yet to be answered, as there doesn't seem to be a guarantee on either side about what Aaron Rodgers plans to do in the future.
Regardless, there were obviously a lot of changes for this organization over the past few months, as Mike Tomlin decided to step away, while new head coach Mike McCarthy is taking over.
McCarthy is very well respected around the NFL, but he'll have to prove that he can win in Pittsburgh, something that every other coach in the past has been able to do. The Steelers are one of the most historic franchises in NFL history, so McCarthy will be tasked with continuing that tradition.
Looking ahead to some of these questions, The Athletic proposed some interesting ones. There are a lot of questions right now, and when it really gets broken down, it's important to look at how well of a situation McCarthy actually inherited.
“Mike McCarthy inherited a 10-win playoff team that had a ton of salary-cap space to make noise in free agency and a league-high 12 draft picks. After an aggressive push to sign starters to fill holes, a trade for Michael Pittman Jr. and a draft in which several immediate needs were addressed, the roster looks stronger than the one McCarthy took over,” Mike DeFabo of The Athletic wrote.
“Three factors will determine this team’s ceiling: How quickly does this young offensive line come together? Can new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham make the most of a highly compensated, veteran group? And more than anything, assuming the 42-year-old QB does sign, at what level will Aaron Rodgers play?”
The last sentence there is the biggest one, as the Rodgers saga is as big as anything else. If he comes out and does what's needed for Pittsburgh, assuming he comes back, everything should be just fine.