“The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most improved teams in the NFL…on paper.”

Stop me if you’ve heard some talking head, or even a fan, say that this past offseason. Whether they are referring to one of the many free agent acquisitions since the new league year started, the trades which were made, or the highly acclaimed 2024 NFL Draft class. At every stop this past offseason there has been a constant chatter about how the Steelers have improved their roster from top-to-bottom.

On paper.

That caveat at the end of the sentence has always stuck with me as long as I can remember. It’s almost akin to my most dreaded word when describing an athletic team.

Potential.

Sure, you could be brimming with potential, but that doesn’t mean you’ll live up to said potential. Likewise, the Steelers roster could be improved on paper, but it means little-to-nothing if the players don’t come together as a team and perform when it matters most. When I think about people talking about a roster on paper, I can’t help be recall Lee Flowers’ famous quote when talking about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

For those too young, CLICK HERE to see what I’m referring to.

For those Steelers fans who have seen this song and dance before, they are not about to be fooled by offseason accolades. They want to wait until they see the team playing actual football until they make some real judgements on the improvements made on the roster. Wednesday that all changes when Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Patrick Queen, rookies, and the full 90-man offseason roster will head to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA to put the “paper” behind them and start moving on the 2024 regular season.

Only then will we, the fan base, start to see if the improvements made through transactions on paper make a difference.

The more I think about it, the more I believe I should provide a cautionary tale about how even preseason success should be taken with a big grain of salt. Just look back to 2023, but that’s a discussion and article for another day. In the meantime, rejoice in the fact the Steelers report to camp tomorrow, Wednesday, and start real preparations for the upcoming regular season. No more Organized Team Activities (OTAs), Rookie Minicamp and Mandatory Minicamp. No, now it’s time to really start to prepare for the regular season, and it’s now or never.

Time to put the “paper” in the rear view mirror…