The most indispensable Steeler after Big Ben is...

NFL.com put together lists of the nine most indispensable offensive and defensive players last week. Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell made the list as the fifth-most indispensable offensive player. (No quarterbacks allowed on the offensive list).

Adam Schein of NFL.com believes the Steelers could struggle without Bell during his three-game suspension. The Steelers play New England on the road, San Francisco at home and St. Louis on the road in the first three weeks.

This might be underestimating the abilities of Ben Roethlisberger and his receivers as well as overestimating the competition.

Without Tom Brady, not to mention the services of cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, the Steelers would have a shot of beating the Patriots. But even if they don’t, they’d get the 49ers, who had a disastrous offseason, at home the following week and then a road game at the Rams, who haven’t had a winning season since 2003. St. Louis’ starting quarterback will be Nick Foles.

If the Steelers can’t go 2-1 against Jimmy Garoppollo, Colin Kapernick and Nick Foles, it’s probably going to be a long season.

Here’s why. The Steelers get the Ravens at home the following week followed by a road game at San Diego, a home game against Arizona, a road game at the Chiefs and a home game against the Bengals.

Overall, eight of the final 13 opponents made the playoffs last season, including five of the final six.

*Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa was hired by Patriots owner Robert Kraft to perform at the Patriots’ ring ceremony Sunday night.

*Ed Bouchette reported last week the Steelers probably won’t sign anyone else this summer after Cam Heyward. One has to wonder if their approach would have been different had they not pulled the trigger on the four-year, $24.6 million deal with Cortez Allen on the eve of the 2014 opener.

If the Steelers had that $6 million per season to play with it would be much easier to sign left tackle Kelvin Beachum.

*Marcus Gilbert is a solid right tackle in the NFL and the going rate for a player of his caliber is $ 6 million per season, but it’s also fair to wonder if the money they are paying him until 2018 would be better utilized on a left tackle. Anyone who remembers the first four games of the 2013 season knows how important left tackles are.

Beachum is not a dominant run blocker, but he has done a good job of protecting Ben Roethlisberger’s blind side. Gilbert does not appear to be a candidate to be moved to left tackle next season. He was tried there for a week during the 2013 training camp. The coaching staff settled on Mike Adams, who had to be benched after four games.

And there is no one else on the roster with NFL experience if Beachum and Adams are not re-signed. That would mean drafting a left tackle in the first couple of rounds next spring and inserting that player into the starting lineup, unless they have confidence that Alejandro Villanueva can do the job. Villanueva spent last season on the practice squad and has never played in an NFL game.