The NFL's new league year will begin March 18, and with that will come the opening of free agency.
The Steelers were active in free agency a year ago thanks to the cash influx they received when they rolled over the money they would have paid Le'Veon Bell to their 2019 salary cap, allowing them to sign cornerback Steven Nelson, linebacker Mark Barron and wide receiver Donte Moncrief.
It was an extremely active year for a team that typically sits on the sidelines during free agency, content to re-sign its own players and fill in with a veteran here and there.
With the Steelers up against the cap again this year -- please spare me the 'How can they be up against the cap since Antonio Brown is off the books?' questions -- how will the team handle free agency 2020?
Let's take a look at their own guys headed to free agency and then some of the players they could target in unrestricted free agency.
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
Bud Dupree, OLB: Keeping Dupree in 2020 is the team's highest priority. Mike Tomlin said it. Art Rooney II said it. Kevin Colbert said it. That means the Steelers are likely headed toward placing the franchise tag on Dupree, who had a career-high 11.5 sacks in 2019. The tag will give them more time to work on a long-term deal with Dupree, which could lower his cap hit for this season. And they would have until mid-July to do so. They will have to clear some cap space in order to place the tag on Dupree. But that will get done.
Javon Hargrave, NT: The Steelers' other defensive starter who is headed toward free agency, Hargrave should find a robust market. He will get a deal that pays him $12 million to $14 million per season. The Steelers can't touch that and wouldn't anyway. They're not going to pay Hargrave more than Cameron Heyward or Stephon Tuitt, especially when the idea is to play him about 45 percent of the snaps. So the Steelers will let him walk and recoup the third-round compensatory pick his big contract will bring them in 2021. The Steelers will likely add a low-priced veteran (more on that later in the week) and a rookie in the draft.
B.J. Finney, G-C: The team's swing interior lineman, Finney has started 13 games the past four seasons. The Steelers' record in those games is 11-2, giving you an idea of how much they don't miss a beat when he's in the lineup, be it at center or guard. The Steelers figure to part ways with longtime left guard Ramon Foster as a salary cap casualty. Re-signing Finney would mean he would be plugged in at left guard. Would a three-year, deal in the $12-15-million range get that done? Probably. But the biggest question is can the Steelers afford that?
Artie Burns, CB: The former 2016 first-round draft pick lost his starting job in 2018. He lost his spot even being active on game days by the end of the 2019 season. Burns will move on, and at just 24 years old somebody will take a chance on him. He's got talent. He'll wind up somewhere in 2020 in a league starved for cornerbacks. It won't be a huge deal, though. But it could help offset any signings the Steelers might make in free agency.
Sean Davis, S: The other member of the secondary from that 2016 draft class, Davis missed three quarters of the 2019 season after suffering a torn labrum in Week 2. That prompted the Steelers to trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick. The safety market is deep and Davis might find the offers aren't what they would have been had he played the entire 2019 season. He can play either safety spot and is just 26 years old. He would be the perfect third safety for the Steelers on a one-year deal. But he's going to want to test the waters for a starting spot -- or at least the chance to start.
Nick Vannett, TE: The Steelers sent a fifth-round draft pick to the Seahawks to acquire Vannett early last season because they had no tight end depth. Well, that hasn't changed. It was tough for Vannett to make an impact in 2019 given the Steelers' QB situation and the fact he got on a moving train. The team would like to sign him back and he would like to be back. But the Steelers also would like to potentially explore the free agent market for a veteran upgrade, as well. Vannett could certainly be back, but it might not happen right away.
Kameron Canaday, LS: This is one you don't really think about. But the Steelers need to re-sign Canaday. He's done a solid job for them and they don't want to have to start searching for a replacement. This could be one that gets done before free agency hits.
Tyler Matakevich, LB: Matakevich is a liability when he's playing on the defense, especially on passing downs. But he's one of the top special teams players in NFL. He tied for the league lead with 16 special teams tackles in 2019 and is among the top five in special teams tackles over the past four seasons. That has value. The Steelers would like to have him back, but the reality is that somebody else might offer him more on the open market. To keep Matakevich, the Steelers would likely have to get him signed before free agency starts.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
Matt Feiler, OT: Feiler has been the Steelers' starting right tackle the past two seasons. There's no way he doesn't get a tender. The question is, do the Steelers offer the former undrafted player a second-round tender at $3.278 million or a first-round tender at $4.667 million. There might be a team willing to part with a second-round draft pick to sign Feiler to a contract offer given the state of offensive lines in the NFL, especially knowing the Steelers probably can't match a decent offer for Feiler. This one bears watching.
Zach Banner, OT: Banner was a fourth-round draft pick of the Colts in 2017. Then he bounced to the Browns and Panthers before settling in with the Steelers. He became a valuable player for the team in 2019, serving as an extra blocker in big sets. He could get a chance to start at right tackle if the team doesn't re-sign Finney and decides to kick Feiler inside to guard. The Steelers could go with the original-round tender on Banner of $2.14 million. That would net the team a fourth-round pick if someone signs him. It could also go with the second-round tender at $3.278 million.
Mike Hilton, CB: Hilton has been the Steelers' starting nickel cornerback the past three seasons after being signed to the team's practice squad at the end of the 2016 season. But the Steelers have Cameron Sutton waiting in the wings. And Hilton's size and lack of speed aren't going to change as he gets older. Hilton was undrafted coming out of Ole Miss, so the original round tender would mean nothing to a team wanting to sign him to a deal. Is it worth the $3.278 million second-round tender to keep Hilton. That's the question the Steelers are asking themselves. Some in the organization are on board with doing that. Others are not. The money matters.
L.T. Walton, DE: The Steelers signed Walton back last season after Tuitt went down. But they're not going to make him an offer as a restricted free agent.
Jordan Dangerfield, S: Dangerfield is a plus special teams player. And he's been OK when called upon to play on in the defense. But is that worth a tender for a team that's up against the cap? The reality is that the Steelers can't afford Dangerfield at even the low tender of $2.14 million. They can better spend that money on a veteran safety who offers more of an option on defense.