Full Pittsburgh Steelers Midseason Awards

The Pittsburgh Steelers have completed eight games of their 2015 schedule, which means we're at the season's halfway point. The Steelers are currently 4-4 and looking up at the 7-0 Cincinnati Bengals, who lead the AFC North.

The halfway point gives us the opportunity to evaluate what the Steelers have accomplished thus far. But instead of breaking it down in a traditional way, let's hand out some awards instead. Here are the players worthy of lifting virtual trophies for their accomplishments with the Steelers through the first half of the season. 

Rookie of the Mid-Year: LB Bud Dupree

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The Steelers drafted Kentucky linebacker Bud Dupree in the first round this year in order to boost what had been a languishing pass rush. And so far, the rookie has delivered in that area.

Currently, Dupree leads the Steelers defense in sacks with four, and he's tied with the New Orleans Saints' Hau'oli Kikaha for the most sacks among NFL rookie defenders.

Though he's yet to show up in a big way as a run defender or in coverage, his use as a part-time pass-rusher at left outside linebacker has been a very clear positive for Pittsburgh's defense. 

Defensive Player of the Mid-Year: DE Cameron Heyward

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There are a number of candidates for the Steelers' top defender through the midway point of the season. Defensive end Stephon Tuitt and his 3.5 sacks make a strong case, though he's recently missed time with an ankle injury. Linebacker Ryan Shazier would also be firmly in the mix if he hadn't missed games with a shoulder injury.

So let's go with defensive end Cameron Heyward, who hasn't missed a game yet this year and who is listed as the third-best player at his position by Pro Football Focus. Heyward has been a standout player since 2014, and he picked up where he left off this year.

Heyward currently has 27 combined tackles, including six for a loss, plus three sacks, five quarterback hits and 21 hurries. He's as solid a run defender as he is a pass-rusher, and he's missed just one tackle this season. 

Heyward has become the standard-bearer on Pittsburgh's defense and that whole side of the ball—especially the front seven—is better because he's a part of it. Heyward is a true stud, and it's only a matter of time until he starts getting the recognition nationally that he's been getting from those who know what he's capable of.

Offensive Player of the Mid-Year: RB Le'Veon Bell

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It's bittersweet naming Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell the team's top offensive player. Sweet, because it's true—at least through Week 8—and bitter, because Week 8 marked the end of Bell's 2015 season, as he suffered a severely torn right MCL that landed him on injured reserve for the rest of the year.

Prior to the injury, it was easy to see how much Bell meant to Pittsburgh's offense. When quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered an MCL injury of his own in Week 3, Bell became the centerpiece of the offense, rushing for 129, 111, 88 and 121 yards, respectively, in the games that Roethlisberger missed.

And though Bell missed the first two games of the season due to a suspension, he's still the league's seventh-leading rushing yardage leader, with 556 yards and three touchdowns on 113 carries. He also caught 24 passes on 26 targets for 136 yards.

Someone else will have to step up and become the Steelers' offensive player of the second half of the season. But for the first half, the title clearly belongs to Bell. 

Most Valuable Player of the Mid-Year: QB Ben Roethlisberger

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It might be a little cheap to name quarterback Ben Roethlisberger the team's most valuable player at the season's halfway point, given the fact that he's missed four games with a knee injury. But his absence only further highlighted how vital he is to his team's success.

And even though his Week 8 return wasn't as triumphant as hoped, it's still obvious that the football moves down the field much more reliably with him under center.

This is Roethlisberger's offense in the sense that it was built for him by coordinator Todd Haley and he is in full control of it when he's on the field. He makes stars out of his receivers as much as they make a star out of him, and the result—particularly in 2014, when he was completely healthy through 16 games—is one of the highest-powered offenses in the NFL.

Without Roethlisberger, the Steelers struggle. They went 2-2 without him this year. And though the Steelers lost their first game with him back thanks to some clear rust and his three interceptions, the team needs him more than any other player. If that's not the definition of "most valuable," then what is?

Best Veteran Signing of the Mid-Year: RB DeAngelo Williams

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Even before it was known that Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell would be serving a two-game suspension to start the year, the team needed to add a veteran backup running back to its ranks. After all, not having Bell can be a huge problem for the Steelers when they are unprepared. Just look at last year's playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens one week after Bell hurt his knee as an example.

The Steelers picked up former Carolina Panthers veteran DeAngelo Williams in the spring. Williams, a 10-year NFL veteran at 32 years old, certainly had the experience the Steelers were looking for. But how much would he have left in the tank after over 1,400 rushing attempts and 178 receptions in Carolina?

A lot, apparently. In Weeks 1 and 2 while serving as Pittsburgh's starting back, he rushed 41 times for 204 yards and three scores. And on the year, he currently has 310 yards and three scores on his 63 carries, good for 4.9 yards per carry. Additionally, he's caught 10 passes on 12 targets for 67 yards in 2015.

Williams' value is again on the rise with Bell suffering a season-ending MCL tear in Week 8. He'll serve as the team's starter for the rest of the year, and as long as he can look as good as he did in the first two weeks of the season, there's no doubt he's the Steelers' top veteran signing of the offseason. 

Worst Veteran Signing of the Mid-Year: CB Brandon Boykin

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When the Steelers traded a 2016 fifth-round draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for cornerback Brandon Boykin, it seemed like Boykin would have a role to play in Pittsburgh's secondary. The secondary had struggled all throughout training camp and the preseason, and Boykin looked like he could provide an upgrade, whether in the slot or outside.

But Boykin's rarely been seen on the field with Pittsburgh's defense, playing only 23 total cornerback snaps in three games, according to Pro Football Focus. Instead, he's been working mostly on special teams.

And when Boykin has appeared in coverage, he hasn't been all that stellar. Pro Football Focus notes that four of the five passes thrown his way this year were caught for a total of 45 yards, with six yards after the catch. He's allowed one touchdown on those four receptions, as well. 

Who really knows what the Steelers were thinking when they made the move for Boykin. But if they had designs on him playing corner on a full-time basis, those quickly faded away once he came aboard. This was not the best signing the Steelers made this year, to be sure. There are eight more games for Boykin to prove his worth, though.

Special Teams Player of the Mid-Year: K Chris Boswell

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When it comes to the kicker position for the Steelers, it's obvious that the fourth time is the charm. 

The position has been a point of contention since the preseason, when incumbent Shaun Suisham suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Hall of Fame Game. He was replaced by Garrett Hartley, who then suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in the preseason.

The Steelers then traded for veteran Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee, but after he missed four of his 10 field-goal attempts and an extra-point try, they turned to the inexperienced Chris Boswell to handle the job.

And that's just what he's done. In a season in which kickers are missing field goals and extra points at an alarming rate, Boswell is 100 percent in both areas. He's gone 8-of-8 on field goals, including 3-of-3 on attempts of 40 to 49 yards and 1-of-1 on attempts of 50-plus yards. He's also made all six of his extra-point attempts. 

Boswell is one of eight NFL kickers with a perfect field-goal percentage and one of just five who have made all of their field-goal attempts and extra points. The Steelers desperately needed a big leg and some reliability from their kicker this year, and they have both of those qualities in Boswell. He's their top special teamer through Week 8.