It's safe to expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to be active in free agency. General manager Omar Khan has too many holes to fill and too much cap space not to be active. They should make massive additions to reshape their stale roster. Khan expressed his desire to upgrade at cornerback and receiver this offseason. Pittsburgh could see a couple of starters signed during free agency.
Cornerback should be addressed with some free agents. Names like D.J. Reed, Nate Hobbs, and Charvarius Ward have been a handful of names linked to the Steelers with free agency about to start. Any of those names would be terrific additions and should help Pittsburgh's secondary find a solution to their problems from last season.
One name that deserves attention for the organization is Carlton Davis III. He has plenty of starting experience in the NFL and continues to play at a high level. He will be rewarded with massive contract offers on the open market. If the Steelers want to solve their conundrum at cornerback, they better double-check their bank account and offer what Davis requests.
If they want to address their need at cornerback in free agency, they should target Davis.
Carlton Davis III would be terrific splash signing for the Pittsburgh Steelers free agency
Adding a cornerback in free agency would open more doors regarding who the Steelers target in the draft. It might not be best to invest more money into an expensive defense, but they might have to. Mike Tomlin wouldn't mind if they spent more money on defense. He believes they are only a couple of pieces away from contending.
Signing Davis would come with a hefty price tag.
He might not be as expensive as other top cornerbacks who will hit free agency, but he should command over $41 million over a new three-year deal once he officially becomes a free agent. That would be an average of $13.8 million per season. That's not an insane asking price, considering the reliability that Davis would provide.
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Some might not be thrilled by shelling out more money, but they must upgrade over Donte Jackson. Davis would bring that boost this secondary has been searching for. Joey Porter Jr. would have some pressure removed from his shoulders. It could help him grow as a player and rebound from a tough second season in the NFL.
Davis makes a lot of sense, considering what the team prioritizes in free agency.
While browsing the free agent market, Pittsburgh normally has a common trend. They want someone who can help their team, is normally under 30, and has prior interest from the club. The Steelers never expressed much pre-draft interest in Davis, but he is 28 and can help their roster. He wouldn't be cheap, but he would be a reliable cornerback who can fix their issues.