Computer updates Steelers' projected win total

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the proudest franchises in the NFL, with six Super Bowl championships to their name. However, after Ben Roethlisberger went down early in the season (elbow surgery) the Steelers struggled to an 8-8 record and missed the postseason for a second consecutive season.

Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges handled the quarterbacking duties while Roethlisberger was out and the offense sputtered, finishing 27th in scoring and 30th in total yards. But the Steelers fielded a top-five defense and they're hopeful that the return of Roethlisberger in 2020 will help the offense rebound.

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So as Pittsburgh entered the 2020 NFL offseason, it was clear that the loss of Roethlisberger was still fresh on their mind. So they made giving the future Hall of Famer some help a priority, signing tight end Eric Ebron to a two-year, $12 million deal and bringing in fullback Derek Watt (T.J.  and J.J. Watt's brother) on a three-year, $9 million contract.

The Steelers did defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to the Philadelphia Eagles and also let guard B.J. Finney slip away to the Seattle Seahawks. But they did manage to add some interior offensive line help by signing Stefan Wisniewski to a two-year contract. With just under $5.8 million in remaining cap space and $4.3 million in expected draft commitments, the Steelers should be draft focused from this point forward.

Pittsburgh doesn't own a first-round pick or a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but it does have an extra fourth-round pick. With their six picks, the Steelers should be able to add playmaking help at wide receiver and running back and add depth defensively. If they can do that (and Roethlisberger can stay healthy), they should be able to jump back into the thick of the postseason conversation.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulated the 2020 NFL schedule 10,000 times and the Steelers win an average of 8.9 games in those simulations and make the postseason 62.7 percent of the time while winning the AFC North 15.6 percent of the time. That is a slight jump from the 8.6 projected wins the model predicted prior to the start of free agency. Meanwhile, William Hill Sportsbook currently lists the Steelers at 25-1 to win the 2021 Super Bowl, which is tied for 12th-best odds in the NFL.