Do the Pittsburgh Steelers Need to Grab a TE After Weslye Saunders' Suspension?

The NFL announced today that Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Weslye Saunders would be suspended for the first four games of the 2012 regular season after violating the league's banned substances policy.

Saunders will be able to participate in both training camp and the preseason, similar to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's suspension in 2010.

The suspension has served to highlight the Steelers' major lack of depth at tight end and raises questions as to whether they'll target the position in either free agency or the draft.

The Steelers' depth at tight end begins with Saunders, who was a rookie in 2011. The team lost Matt Spaeth to the Chicago Bears in free agency last season, leaving veteran Heath Miller to be the team's lone reliable starter at the position.

At 29 years old, Miller's best days are behind him. Though he's likely to remain a Steeler for the duration of his career, it's now time for the team to find a successor for the longtime player.

Saunders was supposed to be that player. The Steelers got him at a bargain in 2011. He would have been a top tight end prospect, but red flags were raised about him after South Carolina kicked him off the team for NCAA rules violations and Pittsburgh ultimately picked him up as an undrafted free agent.

In 2011, Saunders had four receptions for 29 yards and a score, but made most of his impact in pass protection—a highly-prized talent in the Steelers' increasingly pass-first offense.

Now that his skills won't be available to the team for the first four weeks of the season, the team has a few options. The first is to not worry about acquiring a free agent or rookie tight end this year, and use fullback David Johnson in place of Saunders in pass blocking. They could make a play for a free agent tight end, like Dallas' Martellus Bennett, Chicago's Kellen Davis or even Cincinnati's Bo Scaife—ones that won't command a major payday, considering the Steelers are in serious salary cap trouble this year.

But, if they're looking for depth and a long-term option, then the draft is their best bet. The Steelers don't generally go after tight ends who resemble wideouts, instead preferring a sturdier sort, ones who can catch passes as well as block in the running and passing games.

Saunders is a beast, listed at 6'6" and 273 pounds. In glancing at the list of the tight end prospects in this year's draft, the Steelers' best bet is George Bryan out of North Carolina State. If they did want to go in a more modern direction at the position, then they could use their second- or third-round pick on Michael Egnew, out of Missouri.

The bottom line is that Saunders' suspension further serves to highlight just how serious the Steelers need to be when examining their tight end situation.

Whether they choose to take the plunge in free agency or take the smarter (from a cap viewpoint) route by drafting one in April, it's a major need for a team that relies so heavily on the position in nearly every offensive snap.