NFL free agency gets underway Monday when the negotiating window opens at noon. Then, teams can communicate with agents and agree to terms on contracts. The Steelers have a lot of cap space to explore additions, and the secondary is a spot that could be addressed here.

Right now, the Steelers have Joey Porter Jr. at one cornerback position, DeShon Elliott at safety and Jalen Ramsey as ... to be determined. With the majority of snaps dedicated to subpackages which require a minimum of five defensive backs, there are at least two spots to add. And, from what I've been told, the preference is to address both of them in free agency.

This starts with James Pierre, one of the Steelers' own free agents. Pierre is 29 years old and coming off the most promising play of his career. After being known as primarily a valuable core special teamer, Pierre provided high-level cornerback play -- enough for the Steelers to dump Darius Slay midseason.

Needless to say, the Steelers have strong interest in bringing back Pierre. However, one source I spoke with last week in Indianapolis told me the Steelers still think more of Pierre as a No. 3 outside cornerback -- the first guy on the field if one of the two starters need a spell or get injured. They are encouraged by his play, but the small sample size and being a late bloomer are a couple of red flags that could stand in the way of Pierre getting a larger contract from the team.

Another name I heard last week for the Steelers' secondary is a familiar one: Minkah Fitzpatrick. Now, the Steelers cannot trade for Fitzpatrick since they just shipped him to Miami last summer. The NFL prohibits teams from trading for players they traded away for a two-year period. However, if the Dolphins decide to release Fitzpatrick, making him an unrestricted free agent, he's fair game.

Of course, Fitzpatrick could choose to go anywhere he wants. And maybe running back to the franchise that traded him away isn't high on his list of priorities. But, from the Steelers' perspective, they are absolutely open to a reunion should the Dolphins decide to release him.

And now, everything else I know about the Steelers ahead of free agency's start on Monday ...

MORE STEELERS

• Yes, wide receiver is a focus here. The Steelers have $50 million in cap space. However, given the number of draft picks at Omar Khan's disposal, a trade for Jacksonville's Brian Thomas Jr. is a real possibility. The Steelers are absolutely interested if the Jaguars are truly motivated to move Thomas. He's only 23 years old and has two years remaining on his rookie contract, plus a potential fifth-year option. -- Chris Halicke 

• Here's what I know when it comes to quarterbacks, some is a rehash of what I've already reported, some new: They want Aaron Rodgers back, but it's not Rodgers or bust. And yes, there's no real deadline set, but I also believe they aren't willing to wait as long as it took Rodgers to decide last year. Malik Willis remains on the Steelers' radar, but my conversations with sources last week did not indicate that Khan would go above and beyond to pay him. So, if Willis' market goes bananas, don't expect the Steelers to compete. I haven't heard anything on Kyler Murray or Derek Carr, so hard to gauge any interest there. When it comes to Kirk Cousins, one source laughed when I brought him up at the Combine, at least in terms of being a starter. -- Chris Halicke

• Reiterating this from last week since it was reiterated to me this week: Kenneth Gainwell is the Steelers' top priority among their own internal free agents. -- Chris Halicke

• I'd be surprised to see Isaac Seumalo back in Pittsburgh. It's not that they don't like him, but given the projected cost, the Steelers are more likely to turn to Spencer Anderson, sign someone else in free agency such as Connor McGovern, who played for Mike McCarthy in Dallas, or go to the draft. They met with Oregon's Emmanuel Pregnon at the Combine, and I think he's a legitimate Day 2 option in the draft. -- Chris Halicke

• One more note at guard: I don't expect to see a reunion with James Daniels. All I can say. -- Chris Halicke

• The Steelers could very well make some changes at inside linebacker, probably more likely in the draft that in free agency. The situation is fluid, but last I heard, Elandon Roberts likely won't be coming back to Pittsburgh. It still could happen, so I don't want to rule it out completely, but just reporting the last I heard on the situation. This wouldn't only be a reunion with the Steelers, but also with Patrick Graham. It makes sense on paper, but there are some in the Steelers organization that feel Roberts' game is on the decline. -- Chris Halicke

• It's looking more and more like Calvin Austin III won't return. He changed agents, hiring Drew Rosenhaus. When a player does that ahead of free agency, they're typically trying to test the market. I'm not saying it's impossible for him to return, but changing to a top-tier agent usually means a reunion is not high on the list of priorities. -- Chris Halicke

PENGUINS

• The vibe this time last year in the locker room was tense. Players knew trades were coming, and that very well could have includes some of their bigger names. Rickard Rakell was one of those bigger names that was seen as a potential trade piece, and he knew that. He talked with me about how "stressful" it was at the time.

There's been zero tension in the locker room as of late. It seems like nobody is worried about being dealt, Rakell included. I asked him about the feelings leading up to the deadline on Thursday, and he broke into a grin and said he had "no feelings." And when I asked if "no feelings" beats the stress of last year, he elaborated.

"There's definitely a lot more rumors going on last year, so that's probably the only thing," he said. "Obviously, you never know what's going to happen. But, I mean, I'm excited for a push here for the final stretch of the season." -- Taylor Haase

• One guy who would have an excuse to be a little more worried than others, even though he doesn't show it: Anthony Mantha. Not only because he's an older, pending free agent, but because his wife is 35 weeks pregnant. Not exactly an ideal time to be moving. -- Taylor Haase

• The frustration from fans over the lack of an Evgeni Malkin extension would probably be lessened if the complexities of the deal for a player his age are understood. It's not as simple as settling on a dollar figure and throwing it at him. Is it a one-year deal? Because at his age, if he signs a one-year deal, he'd be one of the few non-ELC players eligible to have performance bonuses be part of the structure. Does he want that? Does the team want that? How much of the contract should be built that way? If it's a contract more than a year, that puts it at risk of being a 35+ contract depending on how it is structured, which invites the risk of the full dead cap if he retires before it ends. If the Penguins are willing to give Malkin a multi-year deal, does Malkin's side want it front-loaded in salary, or to be structured in a way that has signing bonuses beyond the first year -- two things that are player-friendly? Because that's a lot of risk to take on. There are a lot of potential hangups, and the week of the trade deadline isn't necessarily the time to be hammering that all out. -- Taylor Haase

• Don't expect the Penguins to be in on any big college free agents -- not for lack of interest, but because this isn't exactly a premiere destination for the big college UFAs who have their pick of teams. That's a compliment to the Penguins' depth. A player in that situation is seeking an opportunity where the path to the NHL is more clear. When the Penguins have built up the prospect pool as much as they have, a college UFA is going to have a harder time leapfrogging the depth chart, and is going to be more likely to sign somewhere where there is less competition. -- Taylor Haase

• Yes, Sidney Crosby was genuinely working to play in the gold medal game. Yes, the four-week expected timeline was also legitimate. Not everything is a conspiracy or a lie. Those two things aren't at odds with each other when we're talking about a game as big as the Olympic semifinals or gold medal game. Just look at Hilary Knight, who played through an MCL tear and also ended up on injured reserve upon returning to Seattle. -- Taylor Haase

• I'd expect Sidney Crosby to travel on the bizarrely-structured Raleigh-Vegas-Utah-Denver-Raleigh trip, because his projected timeline would have him nearing a return then. But the schedule out there isn't exactly ideal -- each game has one day off between them, and the Penguins won't be practicing at all out there on those non-game days. The trade-off will be full morning skates on game days, but that's less than ideal for Crosby's circumstance. -- Taylor Haase

• The hockey operations staff not typically based in Pittsburgh -- people like Trevor Daley, Kevin Stevens, Sheldon Brookbank, Chris Butler and others -- are in town for Friday's deadline. -- Taylor Haase

• Kyle Dubas can get pretty animated and loudly frustrated during some games. Thursday's loss to the Sabres might have been the peak of that, particularly from some of the calls or non-calls. -- Taylor Haase

PIRATES

• Marcell Ozuna dealt with a hip injury last year with the Braves, but he sees that issue as a thing of the past. 

"With the hip, it was all about letting the time go," Ozuna told me. "Every day, day by day, I felt a lot better. That's how it was last year, and now, I feel fantastic." 

Ozuna, who has three hits in 12 at-bats this spring, told me he's emphasized being more loose, all while showing the younger players on the roster how to enjoy the game. 

"Now I don't have to worry about anything else," Ozuna said in regard to the injury. "Just play the game and give my best to a team that gave me the opportunity." -- José Negron in Bradenton, Fla.

• One thing that has stood out when observing some of the interactions players and coaches have had with one another is how invested they are in each other's success. 

Ozuna, for example, has seemingly taken Oneil Cruz under his wing, sharing knowledge and experience with a player looking to maximize his potential. Paul Skenes has been seen watching Jared Jones' bullpen and live batting practice sessions, displaying the type of investment he has in the growth and success of his fellow pitchers. 

That type of investment seems to be what's needed for a team to really establish a winning culture. 

"We're a family, we're a tight-knight group already," Kristopher Negron told me a few weeks ago. "We're all investing in each other, and I think that's the best way to create that culture. Like Donnie (Kelly) has mentioned, it's bigger than us. It's bigger than the individual, what we're trying to do. We've got to invest in the other people and their growth, their development and learning. Once we realize that, that's going to bring us closer together and push us in the right direction." -- José Negron

• Former major-league catcher JD Closser will join Class AAA Indianapolis’ coaching staff as a catching and game planning coach this season, but he’s currently helping the catchers in major-league camp with current catching coach Jordan Comadena away working with Team USA during the World Baseball Classic. -- José Negron

• Antwone Kelly will be joined by his younger brother, Jaitoine Kelly, on Team Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic. Antwone, 22, is four years older than Jaitoine, so this will be the first time in which the two have played alongside one another. Like his older brother, Jaitoine is a right-handed pitcher in the Diamondbacks organization.

"I'm excited to get to see him again after some months, and get to play together in a team, so it's going to be very fun," Antwone Kelly said. "I only pitched one inning in the WBC (in 2023), but I told him that it's like a big-league experience. You've got to enjoy yourself, enjoy every moment, and get to know every player and have fun." -- José Negron