The Steelers have a lot of salary cap space to work with this offseason, and can easily create quite a bit more with a few simple cuts. That's a great thing because there are several holes on this roster that need attention.
1. QUARTERBACK
It's the most important position in sports, and the only one under contract right now is Skylar Thompson on a futures deal. So, yes, quarterback is the top priority.
Unfortunately for the Steelers, this is a terrible offseason to find the next franchise quarterback. And, to be completely honest, don't expect it to happen. The free-agent class is terrible. The draft class is similar to the year the Steelers reached for Kenny Pickett in the first round.
So, the Steelers can go one of two ways. One way is what they did last season: Get a veteran quarterback on the cheaper end, hoping experience helps elevate the offense. Running it back with Russell Wilson is an option, and quarterbacks such as Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins or Derek Carr could be available, too.
The other way is to go with the most amount of upside. That likely means bringing back Justin Fields to be the starter. Fields doesn't turn 26 until March. A lot of quarterbacks haven't reached their full potential until an older age, and Fields has all the tools to be a potential star. The good thing in this case is Fields showed improvement in the Steelers' system, specifically in limiting turnovers (two in six games) compared to what he did during three years in Chicago (41 turnovers). It's still a risky move, but going the higher-upside route at least gives the Steelers a better chance at more dynamic quarterback play until a better option -- preferably in the draft -- is available.
2. WIDE RECEIVER
This was the position with the biggest hole in 2024, and it remains that way now. Mike Williams, Van Jefferson and others are all free agents. The only holdovers are George Pickens, Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson. Pickens is a head case, Austin improved and showed he could be a nice No. 3 option and Wilson essentially had a redshirt year.
The plethora of cap space could really be utilized here. Unfortunately, it's not a great free-agent class. Tee Higgins leads the group and could garner a contract that pays nearly $30 million per year. That's a hefty price, but Mike Tomlin is a fan of his game. Chris Godwin could be a great addition for a little cheaper, but reports out of Tampa suggest the Buccaneers will franchise tag him if they can't work out a new contract.
The trade market might be a bit more interesting. It's possible the likes of Deebo Samuel, D.K. Metcalf, Davante Adams or Garrett Wilson could be on the move. Also, the Steelers could entertain trade offers for Pickens in case they decide they've grown tired of his nonsense.
The draft is always a great place to find receivers, and this year's class is no different. There will be options in every round of the draft, so finding a guy there could be beneficial.
Regardless, the Steelers should acquire one receiver via free agency or trade then draft another in the first three rounds. They need impact talent at the position. Pickens is heading into the last year of his rookie deal and I really don't think they are considering giving him a new contract. So, rebuild the room. It needs it. Badly.
3. CORNERBACK
Donte Jackson and Cam Sutton are free agents. Regarding the latter, good riddance. The reunion didn't work. They were better off running with an undrafted free agent in Beanie Bishop, who at least came away with four interceptions in his rookie season.
Either way, the Steelers really need an upgrade at outside cornerback and slot cornerback. Joey Porter Jr. has to improve at limiting the penalties, but he's still a very good cornerback that often faces the opponents' top receiver. This defense could really use another guy that could play opposite of Porter that can get it done both in zone or man coverage. Jackson is a good zone coverage cornerback and he's got great ball skills. He's just not a good man-coverage cornerback. Any time the Steelers want to bring pressure, which most often requires man coverage, Jackson is a liability.
Slot cornerback shouldn't be overlooked, either. Bishop is a great fit in terms of creating occasional splash and is a good tackler, but the consistency in coverage isn't there yet. They could really use a guy that can be a little more consistent and that can be a threat as a blitzer.
4. RUNNING BACK
Both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are free agents, but Warren is at least a restricted free agent, so the Steelers have more control over letting him walk or not. But, I have a hard time seeing the Steelers let Warren go. He's a great fit in Arthur Smith's system and could be the lead back next season.
However, the same can't be said for Harris. The team didn't pick up his fifth-year option, which is why he's a free agent now. And, they didn't pick up that option because they weren't sure about the fit in this system. Everything on the surface suggests Harris has played his last game in a Steelers uniform.
If Harris does leave, the Steelers need to find a replacement. Warren is capable of being a feature back, but he's also been banged up in two of three seasons thus far. Trusting him to be a bell cow is a big risk. The draft is a great place to find a complement to Warren. It's a great class of running backs this year. Even a guy taken in the third round would be a second-round pick in other years. The franchise should take advantage of it.
Cordarrelle Patterson is under contract for another year, but he should be cut to not only save a couple million bucks, but because he's clearly over the hill, didn't contribute very much as a kick returner -- his calling card -- and made a stink about not seeing an offensive snap in the playoff loss in Baltimore. An RB3 and kick returner can be found on the cheap side in free agency.
5. DEFENSIVE LINE
I thought about putting guard here, and that could be a big need if Isaac Seumalo is cut. It probably still should be a position Omar Khan and the front office consider. But, defensive line needs another young, talented player.
Larry Ogunjobi is a great teammate and presence in the locker room. But, with one year left on his deal, the Steelers could save about $7 million in cap space by cutting him. He's on the wrong side of 30 and his production is declining. He recorded seven sacks with the Bengals in 2021 before joining the Steelers in 2022, and he hasn't even hit that number in three full seasons. Meanwhile, Keeanu Benton is playing out of position. Yes, he was a nose tackle at Wisconsin, but his size and skill set fit the defensive end role opposite Cam Heyward in the Steelers' 3-4 scheme much better.
Even so, this is a good class of interior defensive linemen. Even moving Benton to a more appropriate position shouldn't be enough. This line needs an infusion of youth. This is a great year to do it to help solidify the interior of the defensive line.
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THE ASYLUM
Chris Halicke
8:26 pm - 01.18.2025DowntownFive biggest positional needs
The Steelers have a lot of salary cap space to work with this offseason, and can easily create quite a bit more with a few simple cuts. That's a great thing because there are several holes on this roster that need attention.
1. QUARTERBACK
It's the most important position in sports, and the only one under contract right now is Skylar Thompson on a futures deal. So, yes, quarterback is the top priority.
Unfortunately for the Steelers, this is a terrible offseason to find the next franchise quarterback. And, to be completely honest, don't expect it to happen. The free-agent class is terrible. The draft class is similar to the year the Steelers reached for Kenny Pickett in the first round.
So, the Steelers can go one of two ways. One way is what they did last season: Get a veteran quarterback on the cheaper end, hoping experience helps elevate the offense. Running it back with Russell Wilson is an option, and quarterbacks such as Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins or Derek Carr could be available, too.
The other way is to go with the most amount of upside. That likely means bringing back Justin Fields to be the starter. Fields doesn't turn 26 until March. A lot of quarterbacks haven't reached their full potential until an older age, and Fields has all the tools to be a potential star. The good thing in this case is Fields showed improvement in the Steelers' system, specifically in limiting turnovers (two in six games) compared to what he did during three years in Chicago (41 turnovers). It's still a risky move, but going the higher-upside route at least gives the Steelers a better chance at more dynamic quarterback play until a better option -- preferably in the draft -- is available.
2. WIDE RECEIVER
This was the position with the biggest hole in 2024, and it remains that way now. Mike Williams, Van Jefferson and others are all free agents. The only holdovers are George Pickens, Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson. Pickens is a head case, Austin improved and showed he could be a nice No. 3 option and Wilson essentially had a redshirt year.
The plethora of cap space could really be utilized here. Unfortunately, it's not a great free-agent class. Tee Higgins leads the group and could garner a contract that pays nearly $30 million per year. That's a hefty price, but Mike Tomlin is a fan of his game. Chris Godwin could be a great addition for a little cheaper, but reports out of Tampa suggest the Buccaneers will franchise tag him if they can't work out a new contract.
The trade market might be a bit more interesting. It's possible the likes of Deebo Samuel, D.K. Metcalf, Davante Adams or Garrett Wilson could be on the move. Also, the Steelers could entertain trade offers for Pickens in case they decide they've grown tired of his nonsense.
The draft is always a great place to find receivers, and this year's class is no different. There will be options in every round of the draft, so finding a guy there could be beneficial.
Regardless, the Steelers should acquire one receiver via free agency or trade then draft another in the first three rounds. They need impact talent at the position. Pickens is heading into the last year of his rookie deal and I really don't think they are considering giving him a new contract. So, rebuild the room. It needs it. Badly.
3. CORNERBACK
Donte Jackson and Cam Sutton are free agents. Regarding the latter, good riddance. The reunion didn't work. They were better off running with an undrafted free agent in Beanie Bishop, who at least came away with four interceptions in his rookie season.
Either way, the Steelers really need an upgrade at outside cornerback and slot cornerback. Joey Porter Jr. has to improve at limiting the penalties, but he's still a very good cornerback that often faces the opponents' top receiver. This defense could really use another guy that could play opposite of Porter that can get it done both in zone or man coverage. Jackson is a good zone coverage cornerback and he's got great ball skills. He's just not a good man-coverage cornerback. Any time the Steelers want to bring pressure, which most often requires man coverage, Jackson is a liability.
Slot cornerback shouldn't be overlooked, either. Bishop is a great fit in terms of creating occasional splash and is a good tackler, but the consistency in coverage isn't there yet. They could really use a guy that can be a little more consistent and that can be a threat as a blitzer.
4. RUNNING BACK
Both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are free agents, but Warren is at least a restricted free agent, so the Steelers have more control over letting him walk or not. But, I have a hard time seeing the Steelers let Warren go. He's a great fit in Arthur Smith's system and could be the lead back next season.
However, the same can't be said for Harris. The team didn't pick up his fifth-year option, which is why he's a free agent now. And, they didn't pick up that option because they weren't sure about the fit in this system. Everything on the surface suggests Harris has played his last game in a Steelers uniform.
If Harris does leave, the Steelers need to find a replacement. Warren is capable of being a feature back, but he's also been banged up in two of three seasons thus far. Trusting him to be a bell cow is a big risk. The draft is a great place to find a complement to Warren. It's a great class of running backs this year. Even a guy taken in the third round would be a second-round pick in other years. The franchise should take advantage of it.
Cordarrelle Patterson is under contract for another year, but he should be cut to not only save a couple million bucks, but because he's clearly over the hill, didn't contribute very much as a kick returner -- his calling card -- and made a stink about not seeing an offensive snap in the playoff loss in Baltimore. An RB3 and kick returner can be found on the cheap side in free agency.
5. DEFENSIVE LINE
I thought about putting guard here, and that could be a big need if Isaac Seumalo is cut. It probably still should be a position Omar Khan and the front office consider. But, defensive line needs another young, talented player.
Larry Ogunjobi is a great teammate and presence in the locker room. But, with one year left on his deal, the Steelers could save about $7 million in cap space by cutting him. He's on the wrong side of 30 and his production is declining. He recorded seven sacks with the Bengals in 2021 before joining the Steelers in 2022, and he hasn't even hit that number in three full seasons. Meanwhile, Keeanu Benton is playing out of position. Yes, he was a nose tackle at Wisconsin, but his size and skill set fit the defensive end role opposite Cam Heyward in the Steelers' 3-4 scheme much better.
Even so, this is a good class of interior defensive linemen. Even moving Benton to a more appropriate position shouldn't be enough. This line needs an infusion of youth. This is a great year to do it to help solidify the interior of the defensive line.
Want to participate in our comments?
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Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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