News/views: Harrison? Sorry, that’s not enough 76

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Wild Card Playoffs - Baltimore Ravens v Pittsburgh Steelers

James Harrison walks off Heinz Field after the playoff loss to the Ravens. — GETTY

BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Steelers are bringing back James Harrison on a two-year contract, the team and player announced this afternoon.

Views: That’s it?

Sorry, that’s not enough.

Don’t misunderstand here, please: Harrison has something left, even at age 37. I believe that, and I’d be surprised if anyone else didn’t after how he consistently graded out game after game in 2014. On top of that, he’s essentially needed after the Steelers waited and waited without making any other move at this position of glaring need other than bringing back Arthur Moats. If he’s in a support role with Jarvis Jones and/or Moats and/or a high draft pick, that’s at least workable.

But giving credit for that is akin to crediting someone for digging out of a self-made hole.

The facts are these:

• The Steelers have a far tougher schedule in 2015, No. 1 in the NFL, actually. What worked to get them to 11-5 last season won’t be good enough this season.

• The Steelers have a terrific offense, maybe the league’s most dynamic, and could be a legit Super Bowl contender with even a mediocre defense. They don’t have that.

• The Steelers have money. They have cap room.

• The Steelers have done next to nothing in terms of acquiring outside talent to address either of two vacancies — and they describe outside linebacker and cornerback the same way — since the season ended, even as they saw Jason Worilds retire and Brice McCain sign elsewhere.

• The Steelers have now waited long enough that neither position could reasonably be upgraded through free agency, so they’ll have to wait for the draft. And neither position could be upgraded immediately through the draft. That’s not realistic.

So all of this is worth applauding … why exactly?

To this point in the offseason, the Steelers’ management has been utterly derelict in duty as it relates to making their defense viable and doing all they can to take advantage of a superior offense. And I can’t begin to understand why.

Maybe they’ll start making sense of it soon.