Steelers Options for Replacing Heath Miller at Tight End

Steelers have a couple of options for replacing retired tight end Heath Miller including the draft, free agency, and from within

Well Heath Miller has retired. He was a great Steeler for many years of course and we all knew his retirement was coming, but most of us thought he would play out his contract and retire next year. Regardless, Heath Miller is certainly the greatest tight end to ever wear the black and gold and will be difficult to replace. But the Steelers have some opportunities to have a solid starting tight end by the start of next season.

Ray Fittipaldo of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette quoted Kevin Colbert as saying, “Heath Miller was as great a combination of character and football player as I have ever been around.”

Mike Tomlin had some heartfelt words, he said, “It’s been an honor and a pleasure to coach Heath, to watch him grow and evolve and perform. There are great benefits and blessings that come with being someplace as long as I have been here. It also creates unique relationships and feelings and experiences that make events such as his retirement difficult. It would be selfish of me to view it in any other way other than a great deal of admiration and appreciation for having an opportunity to work with Heath for nine of the 11 years he has done it.”

Steelers team president Art Rooney II was quoted as saying, “The chants of “HEEATH” will be missed at Heinz Field and around the entire NFL.”

That’s not all that will be missed though. Heath Miller was drafted with the 30th pick in 2015 and played 10 seasons with the Steelers. He racked up 6569 yards (12th all time) on 592 receptions and 45 touchdowns. He had two pro bowls, two super bowls, and three AFC championships, and four AFC North championships. Even in his last season, at 33 years of age, he caught 60 balls for 592 yards.

So how are the Steelers going to make up that kind of production? Well, one place they could look is internally. The Steelers had made some late round attempts to find an heir to Heath Miller over the past couple of seasons. Players like Michael Palmer, Rob Blanchflower, and David Paulson had not panned out. Then last year the Steelers drafted Jesse James out of Penn State.

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James is still young at 21 years of age and played 8 games with 2 starts. He caught 8 passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. Not exactly Heath Miller numbers, it’s true. For many Steeler fans it was enough for us to perhaps imagine James being the guy to step in when Heath Miller retires…next year. James still has some growing to do but if he makes some leaps this offseason then he and Matt Spaeth might work.

But, the Steelers are probably going to want to supplement that combination with some additions to the team. Heath Miller is going to be taking a lot of good football with him. But, he’s also taking 4 million in cap space. This allows the Steelers to lock up some young players whose contracts end next year like Bell and DeCastro but also to find a replacement.

If not Jesse James, or at least if not now, then the Steelers have basically two routes to go. They can sign a free agent, or get someone in the draft.

The draft pool for tight end is decent, but not particularly outstanding this year. The cream of the crop is widely expected to be Arkansas tight end Hunter Henry. He has the blocking and catching abilities and first round credentials that make him a pretty obvious possibility to take on Heath Miller’s role. Lance Zierlein of ESPN had the Steelers taking Henry in his mock draft even before Miller’s retirement.

Other possibilities are Stanford’s Austin Hooper, who is a solid receiving threat with room to grow in the blocking department. South Carolina’s Jerell Adams, Florida’s Jake McGee, Arkansas State’s Darion Griswold, and Ohio State’s Nick Vannett are also possible options.

The free agent field this year is pretty strong when it comes to tight end. There’s not any Gronks or Grahams or Wittens. But the Steelers can’t afford them anyway. But theres lots of cap friendly options. Which drives price down even further.

The Steelers can either look for a long term replacement or someone to hold the spot until James develops more, or whoever they might draft this year.

Short term replacement possibilities include over 30 players like Antonio Gates, Zack Miller, Ben Watson, Marcedes Lewis, and Vernon Davis. Long term possibilities for replacement in the free agent field include Ladarius Green, Jermaine Gresham, Coby Fleener, Jared Cook, Larry Donnell, and Dwayne Allen.

Next: Steelers Heath Miller a Legend

There’s many other options. Like I said, the free agent field is pretty decent when it comes to tight end. But as with most things, we’ll have to see what Kevin Colbert decides to do.