The Steelers continued to create cap space in the buildup to the opening of the league year -- and free agency -- at 4 p.m. Wednesday by restructuring the contract of Alejandro Villanueva. At the same time, the team suffered its first free agent loss, as offensive tackle Chris Hubbard agreed to a five-year deal with the Cleveland Browns.
Villanueva, who signed a four-year, $24-million extension with the team last season, was scheduled to earn $6 million in 2018. He instead received a bonus payment of $5.295 million that lowered his salary to $705,000, reducing his cap hit this season to $4.1 million.
The move created nearly $3.5 million in additional cap space for the Steelers this offseason but bumped the team's starting left tackle's cap hits in 2019 and 2020 to just over $8 million for each year.
Coupled with the restricted free agent tender offers issued to Chris Boswell ($2.9 million) and Anthony Chickillo ($1.9 million), the Steelers have $2.9 million in salary cap space heading into Wednesday. They are expected to release both Mike Mitchell and William Gay, accounting for an additional $6.75 million in cap space, giving Pittsburgh approximately $10 million in cap space.
That could be enough money to pursue a free agent inside linebacker to replace injured Ryan Shazier. But, that market was set high Tuesday when Anthony Hitchens signed a deal worth $9 million per season to leave Dallas for Kansas City.
The loss of Hubbard, the team's sixth offensive lineman the past two seasons, wasn't unexpected. That he would be joining former offensive coordinator Todd Haley in Cleveland, however, was something of a surprise.
Hubbard, who made 10 starts in 2017, mostly at right tackle in place of injured and suspended Marcus Gilbert, received a reported $37 million overall and $18 million in guaranteed money.
That deal will pay him approximately what the Steelers are paying Gilbert..