Behind the Steel Curtain
Pittsburgh should have plenty of cap space to do some damage on the open market
Hopefully, the dust settles soon on the “wheel of quarterbacks” game in the Steel City so we can get back to what really matters—mock drafts!! Of course, the signal-caller position is the first ball to drop, but in this exercise, let’s say the Steelers re-sign QB Justin Fields to a two-year contract worth $15 million per season. That’s what I hope will happen, and I also believe they’ll do.
Here’s a look at five potential offseason additions for the Pittsburgh Steelers to consider through the offseason.
I’ll also predict the Steelers will address one of their biggest needs by bringing in free-agent to be, Philadelphia Eagles DT Milton Williams, one of the best players on the market.
Williams was a wrecking ball in the Super Bowl, constantly disrupting Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes in the pocket. He finished the game with two sacks and two tackles for loss – and caused a key forced fumble to put the game on ice. I understand the reaction to this from fans might be that it’s such a loaded defensive line class, so why sign a defensive tackle? With the anticipated luxury cap space, I’d much rather have a proven commodity who is only 25 years old and is outstanding at both stopping the run and rushing the passer, than a rookie.
The last shoe to drop will be a free-agent receiver. I’ll say the Steelers end up trading their fifth-round pick (157) for San Francisco 49ers swiss-army knife Deebo Samuel Sr. Samuel is Cordarrelle Patterson times a thousand. He would fit like a glove in Arthur Smith’s offense and provide another dynamic weapon alongside Fields in a potential offense centered around the run-pass option.
Let’s dive into how these signings could impact the first few rounds of the draft.
If the Steelers don’t address cornerback in free agency – that’s where I would look at pick 21. I’m a big fan of Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison, a team captain this past season for the Fighting Irish. Unfortunately, he missed their last six games due to a hip injury, but if his medicals check out, the speedy cornerback will pair nicely with Joey Porter Jr. on the outside. Notre Dame is primarily a man-coverage team, and he was generally on the outside, but he’s versatile enough to play inside. He needs to work on his physicality at the line of scrimmage, as he often relies on his speed to make up ground.
Another defensive back who would be a strong option is East Carolina’s Shavon Revel. I’m obsessed with corners coming off an injury, as Revel tore his ACL in Week 2 of this past season, causing him to miss the rest of the year. But his traits are off...
