Steelers Free Agent Spotlight: TE Michael Palmer
By Kim Myers
Sep 27, 2013; London, United Kingdom; Pittsburgh Steelers players Michael Palmer (82) , Troy Polamalu (43) and Joe Long (79) arrive at practice at the London Wasps rugby club practice facility at the Twyford Avenue sports ground in preparation for the NFL International Series game against the Minnesota Vikings. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The focus of the Pittsburgh Steelers free agent tight ends wraps up with Michael Palmer. Palmer was claimed by the Steelers off of waivers last season when the injury bug ravaged through the starting tight ends. He will become an unrestricted free agent on March 11th.
Michael Palmer signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 2010 as an undrafted free agent. He spent three years in Atlanta where he caught 21 passes for 123 yards and 3 touchdowns. From then he went on the sign-and-release carousel spending short times on the rosters of the New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks before the Steelers picked him up on waivers in August of 2013.
He didn’t turn out to be the blocker the Steelers were hoping he’d be and he’s probably got little to no chance on moving up on the depth chart. With the other pressing needs the Steelers need to address this season I’d think that spending money re-signing either of their unrestricted free agent tight ends would be a waste. If they want to break tradition and check out the free agent market they’d find better tight ends for their needs than Johnson or Palmer. While my opinion stands that it would be best overall if they look to the draft to fill their tight end needs, the answer remains that I doubt either David Johnson or Michael Palmer make it on the Steelers roster for 2014.
As Craig explained here, the Steelers could address their need for an athletic tight end with good receiving skills with their first pick with North Carolina’s Eric Ebron. The Steelers will most likely go with a tight end at some point in the draft, we’ll all just have to wait and see where it is. Where it’s definitely not, though, is their existing free agents.
What are your thoughts, Steeler Nation? Do you think the Steelers re-sign Michael Palmer?
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