According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed free agent tight end MyCole Pruitt. The signing isn’t big news; Pruitt will be the Steelers third tight end and will mostly contribute as a run blocker. However, the signing points to a larger, over-arching theme: new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has had a clear influence on Pittsburgh’s free agency decisions.
Tight end MyCole Pruitt has agreed to terms with the #Steelers, per source. Reunited with Arthur Smith from their Tennessee and Atlanta days.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 5, 2024
Arthur Smith Continues to Influence Steelers Roster Decisions
Signing Former Atlanta Falcons Players
The first obvious sign of Smith’s influence on the Steelers offseason is the fact that Pittsburgh has signed three players who played under Smith with the Atlanta Falcons. All three players are offensive players, too, so it’s safe to say Smith enjoyed working with them in Atlanta and wanted them in Pittsburgh. Van Jefferson was the first former Falcon to follow Arthur Smith from the Falcons to the Steelers. Later, running back and kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson signed with Pittsburgh. Smith and Patterson worked very well together in Atlanta and will look to continue that connection in the Steel City. Pruitt makes it a trifecta of the 2023 Falcons turned 2024 Steelers.
These signings don’t mean Arthur Smith is telling the Steelers front office who to sign. But it would be naïve to think he hasn’t had a say in these decisions. The most likely scenario is Pittsburgh’s front office was interested in signing these players and asked Smith’s opinion from his time working with them in Atlanta. If Smith expressed any negative sentiment about any of these players, the Steelers presumably wouldn’t have signed them. So, while Smith isn’t the one making decisions, his familiarity with Jefferson, Patterson, and Pruitt certainly helped the front office in their decision-making process.
Targeting Players Who Fit Smith’s System
Another clear similarity between these three signings is they are all good schematic fits in Smith’s offensive system. It doesn’t take a genius to see Smith wants to run the ball often and effectively. Again, Smith is not the final decision maker. Any general manager worth his salt would sign players that fit their coordinators’ schemes. But there’s clearly a strong working relationship between Smith, Mike Tomlin, and Omar Khan when it comes to roster building.
Jefferson is a bigger, physical receiver and will asked to be an effective run blocker in Smith’s offense. The Steelers likely see him as Allen Robinson’s replacement; Robinson was a strong contributor as a blocker in 2023. Pruitt is a mauler in the run game, so it’s no surprise to see him reunite with Smith for the third time. Patterson’s career resurgence under Arthur Smith in Atlanta is all the proof needed to call him a good schematic fit. His carries will be limited sitting behind Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, but Smith will be sure to get Patterson some touches.
Taking this point a step further, expect Smith to have a strong influence on the Steelers draft process, too. They are almost certainly going to draft an offensive lineman early in the draft. Whether that be an offensive tackle, a center, or both, the player(s) will need to fit well into Smith’s offense. Though he won’t be the one submitting any draft tickets, Smith will be a key contributor to the discussion surrounding offensive linemen in the draft.
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