ESPN gives Steelers underwhelming offseason grade while praising Browns and Ravens

In the usual offseason fashion of creating meaningless grades, the Pittsburgh Steelers were once again dissed by ESPN analyst Seth Walder. Though Pittsburgh wasn’t at the bottom of ESPN’s AFC North offseason report card, they weren’t far from it.

ESPN recently graded every NFL team’s offseason, giving Pittsburgh a C+, which ranked behind both the Cleveland Browns (B+) and Baltimore Ravens (B). Only the Cincinnati Bengals received a lower grade with a C.

The Steelers’ grade wasn’t surprising given ESPN’s skepticism surrounding quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but some of the reasoning behind the division rankings leaves plenty of room for debate. For Pittsburgh, ESPN’s biggest concern was obvious.

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The Steelers didn’t improve?

The outlet questioned the decision to bring Rodgers back on a one-year deal, arguing the veteran quarterback is no longer capable of playing at an above-average level and suggesting the Steelers would have been better off pursuing other options. ESPN also criticized the trade for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., believing Pittsburgh absorbed a contract worth more than the receiver would command on the open market. (Yes, this is despite Pittman being under contract to the Colts and unavailable to sign on said open market!)

To its credit, Walder acknowledged several moves he did like. Cornerback Jamel Dean was viewed as one of the better value signings of free agency, while third-round quarterback Drew Allar was praised as a worthwhile developmental investment. The extension for Nick Herbig also received positive remarks, even if it came sooner than expected.

The bigger issue isn’t necessarily Pittsburgh’s C+: it’s the grades handed out to the rest of the division.

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Browns rewarded for trading away their best player

The infatuation with willing the Browns to be paper offseason champions is always mind-bending. In Walder’s rankings, Cleveland received a B+, which was the fifth-highest grade in the entire NFL.

Yes, the team that traded away their best player received a B+.

Walder actually loved the Browns’ decision to trade the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, to the Rams, He argues Cleveland was smart to capitalize on his value while rebuilding.

Landing Jared Verse along with multiple premium draft picks was described as a home-run move that better positions the franchise for the future. There’s certainly logic in maximizing the return for a 30-year-old superstar if you believe you’re years away from competing. But does that description fit the Browns? Most likely not.

The Browns are still rebuilding, still breaking in a new head coach, and still have major questions across the roster. And that’s with trading away last year’s best defensive player in football after another disappointing season.

Kudos to Cleveland for continuing to collect offseason accolades.

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Baltimore receives the benefit of the doubt

The Ravens also finished comfortably ahead of Pittsburgh with a B… after one of the biggest coaching changes in the NFL, when Baltimore moved on from longtime head coach John Harbaugh and hired Jesse Minter.

Walder admitted the Ravens nearly made a disastrous trade for Maxx Crosby before pivoting to Trey Hendrickson instead. But even the Hendrickson signing came with caveats.

He noted the 31-year-old pass rusher carries age-related risk and acknowledged Baltimore lost Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum in free agency. (Among many 19 others, including key players such as Kyle Van Noy, Patrick Ricard, Jordan Stout, Alohi Gilman, Daniel Faalele, Isaiah Likely, and more.)

Yes, despite all of that uncertainty, the Ravens still received a stronger grade than Pittsburgh… sigh.

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Were the Steelers really that much worse?

No one is claiming the Steelers had a perfect offseason. In fact, I rarely care about offseason grades. However, the disrespect that’s consistently given to the Steelers is astounding.

This is a team that is coming off of winning their division. Rodgers might be 42 years old, which comes with obvious questions, but he also put up more touchdown passes than anyone since the 2021 season: and that’s including Ben Roethlisberger‘s 2021 season.

There are other questions marks too. Pittman’s contract isn’t insignificant. Mike McCarthy also inherits plenty of pressure replacing Mike Tomlin. But the new Mike is much like the old Mike: consistent and steady. That should count for something.

There are also few holes on the roster. The Steelers added another starting-caliber cornerback in Dean, upgraded its receiving corps with Pittman and Bernard, plus drafted a potential quarterback for the future in Allar, while retaining one of its top young defenders by extending Herbig.

They have a large mix of offensive and defensive linemen, and the remainder of their secondary is stocked with veterans and players with upside.

Meanwhile, Cleveland was celebrated for beginning another rebuild after trading away its franchise player, and Baltimore was largely given a pass for significant coaching and roster turnover because the Ravens are expected to remain contenders.

Offseason grades are little more than projections, and history shows they’re often forgotten once games begin. Still, looking strictly within the AFC North, it’s fair to wonder whether Walder graded the Steelers on what they are today while giving Cleveland and Baltimore credit for what they might become.