Although the 2023 NFL season has come to an end (with the Chiefs yet again reigning supreme), the football train never really stops churning. In many ways, we’ve reached the part of the calendar that gets close to rivaling on-field action: the offseason, where teams can separate themselves by deliberately attacking weaknesses.

For the Steelers, their shortcomings — at center, tackle, quarterback, cornerback and inside linebacker depth — were visible from virtually Week 1 until their Wild Card loss. It’s imperative for Omar Khan to upgrade those positions in both the short- and long-term, and there’s no sign indicating that Pittsburgh won’t do that.

Although the Steelers very likely will make those aforementioned positions the priority atop their draft boards, not everything can or should be fixed through a pick. As a result, some lifting will need to be done in free agency — particularly to mix veterans with young talent, and because teams can’t take a passive approach to building a roster.

According to Spotrac, the Steelers are currently -$4.3 million in cap space, but that seems to not include the release of Chuks Okorafor. On top of that, players like T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick can have their deals restructured, while 2025 FA Cam Heyward could ink an extension that’s more team-friendly in 2024.

While far from an extensive list of strong would-be signings, these five players would allow Pittsburgh to add superstar talent at its most dire areas, making for virtually seamless fits.

CB L’Jarius Sneed

It might be because he plays with Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones, or that he wears No. 38. But make no mistake about it: Sneed is one of the best cornerbacks in football, and has been a driving force behind Kansas City’s consecutive titles.

Sneed, a former fourth-round pick, is in line for a big payday after four very strong seasons with the Chiefs, particularly in the last two seasons. Just 27, the former Louisiana Tech Bulldog allowed a passer rating of just 66 last season — good for fifth in the league, per PFF — not to mention has allowed 90+ yards in coverage just three times since 2022.

There’s no question that the Steelers view Joey Porter Jr. as a top outside option, but more is needed at corner in the Steel City given Levi Wallace’s contract expiring, and Patrick Peterson struggling on the perimeter in the first half of last year. Pairing a player of Sneed’s caliber and age with the 23-year-old Porter would give Pittsburgh one of the better cornerback tandems in the league.

CB Kenny Moore II

In addition to seeking help in terms of boundary corner, Khan will presumably look to add more talent inside. Chandon Sullivan is a free agent and was only solid in his first year in black and gold.

That’s where a player like Moore could enter the fray. The 28-year-old had an outstanding season in 2023, ranking 16th in the league in PFF coverage grade (min. 800 snaps) while racking up three interceptions (two as pick-sixes) and 1.5 sacks. Moore has been one of few reliable components to the Colts’ secondary over the last few years despite playing 60.7% of snaps in the slot in Indy.

The 2024 draft class has a number of strong slot/nickel options like Michigan’s Mike Sainristil and Florida State’s Jarrian Jones, and there’s a solid chance the Steelers opt for one of those players in the middle rounds. However, Moore likely wouldn’t be too costly — he’s projected to net a two-year, $13.5 million contract by PFF — and would be an underrated add to round out Pittsburgh’s secondary.

C Lloyd Cushenberry III

Although Mason Cole manned the middle of the Steelers’ offensive line for 34 games after signing a three-year deal before 2022, he appears a very likely cut candidate on the heels of a dreadful 2023 season in which his 32.4 pass-blocking grade was the worst in the league, minimum 756 snaps.

The Steelers will continue to be linked to premium collegiate center options like Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson, West Virginia’s Zach Frazier and Georgia’s Sedrick van Pran. Yet, this free agent center class is a sleeper with names like Tyler Biadasz, Connor Williams and Aaron Brewer available.

Cushenberry is arguably the top option among that contingent. The 26-year-old has played nearly 3,700 snaps since entering the league in 2020, and posted a personal best 73.2 overall grade in 2023. For context, that was ninth in the NFL.

The former Bronco likely will have a hefty tag; PFF estimates a four-year $57.1 million deal, which would establish a new top mark in pro football for center average annual value. It feels somewhat improbable that the Steelers would want to dole out that much to a center given the younger and cheaper draft options. Regardless, Cushenberry would be a splash signing if Khan did back up the BRINKS truck for him.

ILB Patrick Queen

Mike Tomlin’s inside linebacking corps was fully retooled in 2023 with the additions of Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts and Kwon Alexander. But when Holcomb and Alexander suffered season-ending lower-leg injuries, that left Roberts to gut out a number of ailments with little assistance. On top of that, Alexander is set to hit the open market yet again.

ILB isn’t necessarily atop the Steelers’ wish list, but it would be awfully tough to pass up a player like Queen — with whom Pittsburgh is intimately familiar having squared off with him twice a year.

Just 24, Queen’s blitzing prowess is a major aspect of his success: he’s tallied 84 pressures and 13.5 sacks since 2020. In addition to that, Queen has rounded into a strong tackler and impactful player against the run.

There’s a real chance that Queen is out of the Steelers’ price range, especially because of having both Holcomb and Roberts return in 2024; the smarter play would be to sign or draft two more ILBs to fortify the position. Nonetheless, Queen switching allegiances from Baltimore to Pittsburgh would be seismic.

QB Gardner Minshew

The obvious choice to fit the bill of top-tier quarterback signings is Kirk Cousins, but it feels extraordinarily unlikely that the Steelers are going to shell out that much given their insistent belief in Kenny Pickett. As a result, acquiring a veteran backup who could come in and start, plus push Pickett, is on the docket.

The best option of that contingent — including Ryan Tannehill, Jacoby Brissett, Sam Darnold, Drew Lock and Marcus Mariota — seems to be Minshew.

The 27-year-old journeyman seems to have an inevitability to him wherever he winds up, somehow finding a way to play meaningful snaps down the stretch. Minshew’s turnover-worthy play percentage being at least 3.8% the last two years is undoubtedly concerning, but he kept the Colts alive into Week 18 because of generally solid execution of Shane Steichen’s RPO system and his flair for the dramatic. Oh, and it also bears mentioning: his long hair, mustache and easy-going energy would definitely woo over fans in Pittsburgh.

The collective best guess is that the Steelers’ quarterback room for next year will feature Pickett, a veteran backup to give him competition and probably a mid-round rookie. If Mason Rudolph elects to leave, Minshew would have my vote to fill that middle slot as someone who could start — and be at least decent.