The Steelers need to fix the secondary this offseason. Still Curtain has begun a free agency tracker that targets certain free agents to keep an eye on this offseason.
It’s a stretch to assume that the Steelers will use more than one of their first five draft picks to acquire multiple cornerbacks. It is down right folly to assume that the Steelers will commit using their first round pick on a corner. That’s not to say it won’t happen, but history says otherwise.
That said, our beloved Black & Gold will need to be big time players in free agency if they want to immediately address the gaping holes at the CB position.
We continue the Free Agency Tracker Series with a look at another cornerback prospect:
San Francisco 49’ers CB Chris Culliver
Culliver is another young (will be 27 in August) defenseman who has grown nicely in his position since being drafted in 2011. Culliver suffered a significant injury in 2013 that sidelined him for the entire season. His torn ACL on August 1st, 2013 shelved him for the season and put into question how effective he would be upon his return.
Culliver quieted any skeptics last season when he had a very solid year. He racked up 45 tackles, forced a fumble, defended 14 passes, and intercepted four passes in a late surge in splash plays by the young corner. Culliver might not be able to line up against the best of the best – he has some issues when it comes to turning while covering deep routes.
Still, the former 3rd rounder’s performance over two of three seasons shows that he is most certainly at the level of covering NFL receivers. Cortez Allen he is not.
December 20, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver (29) during the third quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Levi
With the good there is always the bad. Culliver struggled down the stretch in 2013 during the playoffs. He was burned numerous times and became a liability on the field – during the NFL Championship game as well as the Super Bowl.
Culliver also hails from the 49’ers who have a long history of poor player attitudes and trouble with the law. Culliver specifically got into hot water prior to the 49’ers taking on the Ravens back in 2013 when he expressed some rather strong homophobic opinions leading up to Super Bowl Sunday. That might be something to make the Steelers think twice before making an offer.
Culliver is an unrestricted free agent who could be very affordable for the Steelers. The field is ripe with veteran free agent corners. The 49’ers currently sit at a $152 million payroll for 2015 with $146 million being the Top-51. That’s a tough spot to be in. 11 players are slated to make over $5 million in 2015. The Niners will be hard pressed to find the money to keep guys like Culliver unless they start gutting other talent.
If the Steelers can find a way to sign Culliver and make the money work to hold onto Cortez Allen until June 1st, then it could be just a swap in the name on the field with the same paycheck. The Steelers would save $5.63 million if they cut Allen after June 1st. That’s a good first year salary for Culliver, wouldn’t you think?