The Pittsburgh Steelers somehow managed to go 8-8 last season despite not having their franchise quarterback under center for most of the year. That's a testament to Pittsburgh's talented roster as well as the emergence of a defense that become one of the league's best after the team acquired safety Minkah Fitzpatrick via a trade two weeks into the season. 

With Ben Roethlisberger back in the fold, and with the addition of a seventh playoff team in each conference (the Steelers were the seventh-ranked AFC team in each of the past two seasons), Pittsburgh is expected to once again be in the thick of things as it relates to the AFC playoff picture. That being said, the standard in Pittsburgh is not making the playoffs; it's getting to and winning the Super Bowl. While the Steelers' current roster may be capable of making a Super Bowl run, the odds are currently stacked against them. The Steelers, according to William Hill Sports Book, are tied for the fifth-best odds to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LV behind the Chiefs, Ravens, Patriots and Bills.

While the initial waves of free agency have come and gone, the Steelers can still make some moves to strengthen their odds at winning a seventh Lombardi Trophy. Here's three specific things Pittsburgh can do before training camp begins. 

1. Add veteran players to the running back, receiver positions 

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert typically does a good job constructing a positional depth chart that includes a young player, a veteran player still in his prime, and an older veteran whose leadership skills may be as impactful as his on-field production. An example of this is Pittsburgh's current situation at tight end, as the Steelers currently have soon-to-be 30-year-old veteran Vance McDonald, 27-year-old Eric Ebron (the team's biggest free agent signee), and 2019 draft pick Zach Gentry. 

Pittsburgh could use this type of symmetry at running back and receiver. Not only would this provide a veteran presence at both positions, it would also give Roethlisberger another reliable veteran to count on in pivotal situations. The fact that JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner -- the team's top receiver and running back -- are entering their final season under contract is yet another reason to acquire veteran players at those positions. 

The top two running backs currently available are Devonta Freeman and LeSean McCoy. While Freeman's production dipped during his final season with the Falcons (he averaged a career-low 3.6 yards per carry), the two-time Pro Bowler should still be able to provide quality snaps in a more limited role. McCoy, a six-time Pro Bowler and former University of Pittsburgh standout, scored five touchdowns last season while averaging 4.6 yards per carry in a limited role with the Chiefs. It's easy to envision McCoy having a similar role with the Steelers, who have not been shy about their desire to run the ball more and more efficiently in 2020 after finishing 31st and 30th in the league in that department over the past two years. 

Pittsburgh has several interesting options at receiver if they choose to go after one on the open market. Among those options are veterans Demaryius Thomas, Chris Hogan and Josh Gordon. Thomas, an imposing figure at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, recently said that that he is healthy again after dealing with Achilles and hamstring injuries over the past two years. Hogan, a former Patriot who had a big game against the Steelers in the 2016 AFC Championship Game, missed most of last season after suffering a knee injury. And while off-field issues have prevented him from staying on the field, Gordon, when he is on the field, has proven to be a productive NFL receiver. 

2. Bring in more depth at inside linebacker 

The Steelers have done a good job this offseason filling vacant spots in their starting lineup. Veteran left guard (and two-time Super Bowl champion) Stefen Wisniewski was signed to help replace longtime starter Ramon Foster, who retired in March. Pittsburgh traded with the Ravens to acquire defensive tackle Chris Wormley after Javon Hargrave signed a multi-year deal with the Eagles. The team also signed fullback Derek Watt to a two-year deal after releasing Roosevelt Nix, a 2018 Pro Bowler and 2019 team captain.

Inside linebacker, however, is one area that could still use some work. Yes, the Steelers still have starters Devin Bush and Vince Williams, but Pittsburgh's depth at that position is sorely lacking after releasing Mark Barron and allowing Tyler Matakevich to test the open market (the latter inked a two-year deal with the Bills). Pittsburgh's current backups behind Bush and Williams include Christian Kuntz, Ulysees Gilbert, and Robert Spillane. Combined, the trio has made 16 tackles in 17 regular season games. The Steelers may also turn to rookie Antoine Brooks Jr., who started his college career at Maryland as a linebacker before switching to safety. 

While each of their backups have some potential, it wouldn't hurt to have a proven veteran backing up Pittsburgh's starting inside linebackers. Among the Steelers' free agent options here include Barron, Alec Ogletree, Wesley Woodyard, and Darron Lee. A former first-round pick who has started in each of his 93 career regular season games, Ogletree recorded 80 tackles and six passes defensed in 13 games for the Giants last season. While Woodyard's age (he'll be 34 before the start of next season) might be one of the reasons why he's still available, the 12-year veteran — who has 180 regular games and 110 career starts under his belt -- is an extremely experienced player who helped the Titans reach the AFC Championship Game while playing in a reserve role in 2019. 

Lee, the 20th pick in the 2016 draft, started to show glimpses of his potential in 2018, when he returned one of his three interception returns for a touchdown. After three seasons with the Jets, Lee won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs as a backup in 2019, making just two starts in 16 games. Lee could benefit by getting the chance to work with Ryan Shazier, a fellow former Ohio State Buckeye who went from a possible draft bust to a two-time Pro Bowl player. 

3. Sign Cam Newton 

Colbert recently refuted reports that the Steelers had reached out to a veteran quarterback. Colbert also exuded confidence in Mason Rudolph, who went 5-3 in relief of Roethlisberger during the 2019 season. 

There are several reasons why Colbert and the Steelers want to stick with Rudolph. While Big Ben has alluded towards possibly playing beyond his current contract, there's certainly a chance that he may decide to hang up his cleats for good at the end of the 2021 season. If Roethlisberger decides to retire at that point, Rudolph may be given the opportunity to replace him, assuming that he makes the necessary strides in the interim. 

Rudolph is also still under a rookie contract, which makes him a very affordable backup. He has also been brought up under the Steelers' system, working closely with Roethlisberger, head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner. Furthermore, the Steelers likely want Rudolph focusing on his progression this summer and not on a position battle. 

All this being said, it still makes sense to at least look into signing Cam Newton, a former league MVP who is still just 31 years old. While Rudolph should show marked improvement this season, he did not, at least in this writer's opinion, do enough in 2019 to enter the 2020 season as the unrivaled No. 2 quarterback. At the least, the Steelers could sign Newton with the caveat that he is entering a position battle with Rudolph to be the team's primary backup. It's safe to say that Newton would bring out the best in Rudolph, whose current competition, Devlin Hodges, does not even have a guaranteed spot on Pittsburgh's 53-man roster at this point in time. 

While a foot injury kept him out for most of the 2019 season, Newton is just two years removed from a 2018 season that saw him complete nearly 68% of his passes with 24 touchdowns. He also ran for four scores while adding to his record for the most career touchdown runs by a quarterback. And while there are outside questions about his durability following last season's injury, Newton's recent posts on his Instagram account appear to suggest that he is healthy and ready to contribute on an NFL team. That team could very well be the Steelers, who would benefit from having a quarterback of Newton's caliber on their roster. 

The Steelers pride themselves on having competition at every position. For the most part, Pittsburgh has exactly that. One place they don't have that is at starting quarterback, which is something that's not by accident; Roethlisberger is the team's unquestioned starter, and it will remain that way until he either retires or suffers a dramatic decline in play. That being said, there should competition at it relates to who is his backup, which would best come in the form of Newton vs. Rudolph.