The Steelers went into NFL free agency with many holes on the roster that needed to be addressed, specifically on defense.
And, in his first go around as general manager during this portion of the offseason, Omar Khan has done enough to prove his fresh yet familiar presence in the role Kevin Colbert occupied for so long.
In his final free agency, Colbert was as active as he's ever been in free agency, bringing in Mason Cole, James Daniels, Mitch Trubisky, Myles Jack and Larry Ogunjobi. Khan has followed suit and been just as active this year, perhaps even more.
Khan's followed suit in his first free agency by adding six players to the roster in less than a week's time, addressing multiple needs on the roster. Headlining the new crop of Steelers is All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson, who signed a two-year, $14-million contract to infuse new blood and high pedigree to the Pittsburgh secondary. And when Peterson addressed the media at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex for the first time, the reverence for pedigree was revealed to be a two-way street.
"I wasn't surprised because we almost made something happen last year, having conversations with Grady [Brown] and Coach [Mike] Tomlin last year," Peterson said. "I wanted to be a part of this pedigree and this identity that the Steelers organization and team brings to the NFL. They’re always competitive. Coach Tomlin is always going to have his guys in position to win no matter what the circumstances are. For me being in the latter part of my career, I wanted to be a part of a very storied franchise, and what better franchise that you would want to be with than the Pittsburgh Steelers?"
Peterson's reverence for the Steelers organization and Tomlin isn't the only thing on his mind by making this decision. Don't be mistaken, Peterson wasn't short of any words regarding the level of respect he has for Tomlin, especially since his ties go back to when his cousin Bryant McFadden once played right here in Pittsburgh under Tomlin. And, he had a hard time containing his excitement for playing in black and gold.
"Just how the passion that this city has for not only the Pittsburgh Steelers, but for sports in general," Peterson said. "For me, being a defensive player, when you have the fans making it hard for opposing teams, even on the road because I can remember the Cardinals fans and seeing a bunch of Terrible Towels taking over that stadium. So being defensive player and going on the road and seeing your fans do that, it makes you want to play that much harder and makes you want to bring that W home that much more. It is quite an honor to finally be a part of this organization, this rich tradition that this organization has."
However, admiration aside, this is a football decision for Peterson as well. He's been one of the best shutdown cornerbacks in the NFL for 12 seasons, and is coming off a season in which he intercepted five passes and recorded 15 passes defended. Yes, Peterson will be 33 years old when the 2023 season starts, but he showed last season -- in an inconsistent Vikings secondary -- that he still has plenty of ability left in him.
In addition, Peterson is not only open to doing more than just being the shutdown guy on the outside, he wants to become a versatile weapon in Teryl Austin's defense.
"Going into Year 13, I always used to beg my coaches to put me in other places," Peterson said. "I always felt like if you're able to have a quality athlete, you don't want to just limit him to one solid thing. You want to make it as hard as possible on a quarterback throughout the downs. If he knows a guy is going to be lined up in a certain spot every single play, he's going to know how to avoid that guy.
"When you have guys that have not only a special talent on covering but implementing a little blitz, implementing a little post safety or robber safety, whatever the case may be, that's going to make it harder for opposing offenses to game plan for. I don't know what the plan is just yet. But, I'm definitely open for it. It's no secret. I'm not 28 any more. I'll be 33 in July. But, the body feels great."
The additional value of bringing in a player like Peterson isn't just because he costs less than Cam Sutton. Peterson's presence in the defensive backs room will have an immediate impact just because of who he is. He's got some skins on the wall. He's been a premier name at his position for a long time. When one talks about a "been there, done that" type of guy, that's Peterson.
It's one thing to think that bringing a player of Peterson's caliber can rub off on the rest of the room. It's something else entirely when that player genuinely embraces the passing of knowledge and expertise to others.
"I love that role. I'm the oldest of five, so it's kind of in my nature," Peterson said. "They haven't expressed any of that to me, but that's something that comes with me. No one has to tell me, 'We think you should help this guy out.' What I've done so far in my career, I have so much I can share to the next generation.
"Why would I want to hold onto that? I want to continue seeing guys play as long as they want, accomplish the goals they set out for themselves. If there's a nugget or any advice I can give, I'm all for it."
Losing Sutton to the Lions just a couple hours into the legal tampering period hurt. There's no denying that. He's really developed into a fine cornerback, and his ability to seamlessly drift between playing outside and in the slot will be sorely missed.
But, as far as grading a potential signing, especially one that doesn't break the bank and gives the team flexibility to do more, this one's matched up about as well as can be expected.
MORE FROM THE SOUTH SIDE
• As far as worrying about Peterson having lost a step or two, he's never been more confident in what he can do on the football field. That ultimately comes down to everything he's learned over a 12-year career, but also having an opportunity to see the ball more playing off the line of scrimmage.
"Early in my career, I was just solely a man [coverage] guy," Peterson said. "I can play whatever is asked of me, but now with my ball skills… Because, think about it, I had 28 picks with my back against the quarterback. I had to have the timing to be able to get my head back around to see him. Now, having an opportunity to backpedal and see him, set up and give me a better indication when the ball is coming, nine times out of 10 I'm going to come down with it because now I have the opportunity to track the ball the entire way."
• Don't worry, Peterson isn't wearing No. 7.
"I don't know yet, but I know 7 is off limits for sure," Peterson laughed. "I had an opportunity to go down and see the options that’re available. I haven't really picked one just yet, but here in the near future, I will have a number."
Not too much longer after Peterson was done addressing the media, he officially went with his cousin's old number.
Family ties 🤞 pic.twitter.com/VlsccgitQF
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) March 16, 2023
• On top of the Peterson signing becoming official, the Steelers officially signed Nate Herbig and Cole Holcomb. Herbig addressed the media Thursday as well, though he wasn't nearly as elaborate at the podium. And, he didn't have to be. Everything was about being excited to be with the Steelers.
"It's the Steelers. Come on. What isn't there about it?" Herbig said when asked about playing in Pittsburgh. "I don't have enough good things to say. Guys on the team have already reached out to me. Kenny [Pickett] has already reached out to me. I'm just happy to be here, happy to be a part of this team."
Herbig's ties to Andy Weidl go back to their days with the Eagles. And, there's no denying that Weidl's presence in the Steelers' front office played a role in bringing him here.
"Andy Weidl is the GOAT," Herbig said. "He is the man. He was in Philly when I was in Philly. I had that connection coming here."
The Steelers have yet to officially announce the signings of Damontae Kazee, Larry Ogunjobi and Elandon Roberts.
• It should come as no surprise that the first position the Steelers addressed on the offensive line focused on the interior rather than tackle. Going back to my Mock Draft 2.0, I reported the Steelers were more focused on addressing the interior over tackle, primarily to prepare for life after Kevin Dotson, who's entering the final year of his rookie contract.
The Steelers aren't afraid to address tackle. But, as I learned at the Combine, the interior was their priority. Signing Herbig is the first step in that endeavor.
• Predictably, the Steelers restructured Fitzpatrick's contract on Thursday to create $10.065 million in cap space. This wasn't a question of "if," but "when." With around $11 million in cap space prior to any of these six signings, the Steelers needed more room to put pen to paper on these deals. And, they only needed this lone restructure to fit six signings.
If there are further opportunities for the Steelers to make larger additions, they can restructure T.J. Watt's contract, extend either Trubisky or Jack, and/or cut players from the roster. There are plenty of ways to create more than enough space.
• The Steelers did not tender any qualifying offers to restricted free agents James Pierre, Steven Sims, J.C. Hassenauer and Jeremy McNichols. All four players are now unrestricted free agents and can negotiate with any team.
Pierre and Sims come as a bit of a surprise. Pierre vastly outperformed Ahkello Witherspoon in a similar amount of playing time last season, and a $2.6-million cap hit under a right-of-first-refusal tender is cheaper than Witherspoon's $5.482-million cap hit. Sims also provided some splash as a returner, and was implemented more into the offense as a slot receiver down the stretch.
There's still a way for the Steelers to bring them back on cheaper deals. That'd be ideal, but there will be competition now.
• In retrospect, it shouldn't come as any surprise that Kazee was re-signed prior to any possible reunion with Terrell Edmunds. The Steelers like Edmunds, but Kazee's ability to take the ball away fits right into what the Steelers value. The Steelers didn't finish in a tie for the league lead in interceptions by accident. This is a key component to who they are on defense. Kazee helps in that endeavor more than Edmunds.
• Tomlin and Khan were at Clemson's pro day on Tuesday and had dinner with off-ball linebacker Trenton Simpson the night before. Tomlin also spent plenty of time talking with Bryan Bresee during the pro day, and Tomlin's known him since Bresee's freshman year at Clemson.
Simpson would provide a ton of athleticism and an ability to cover tight ends in man coverage. Bresee could turn into Cam Heyward's successor. Outside of cornerback, these are two names well worth watching in the first two rounds of the draft.
• So far, the Steelers have scheduled five of their Top-30 visits for the upcoming draft: Ohio State tackle Dawand Jones, Florida guard O'Cyrus Torrence, Florida defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo and Minnesota center John Michael-Schmitz.
