Pittsburgh Steelers unrestricted free agents aren’t going to get paid
12 Pittsburgh Steelers hit the free agent market today as the team tries to clear cap space for major offseason deal.
Signing Le’Veon Bell is going to take everything the Steelers have this offseason. So, the team has, or is rumored to be, allowing 12 players to hit the market as unrestricted free agents.
Mike Mitchell and William Gay have only been rumored to be released by the team, but with cap space a necessity for Pittsburgh, it’s likely they’ll hit the market soon.
Outside of the veteran defensive backs, the Steelers released a list of free agents. Although most of the players didn’t have much of an impact in 2017, there are some that could be looking at pay days this offseason.
Included on the list is as follows:
- Arthur Moats
- Chris Hubbard
- Justin Hunter
- Stevan Ridley
- Sean Spence
- Fitzgerald Toussaint
- Eli Rogers
- Daniel McCullers
- Greg Ducre
- Mike Matthews
So far, the only player to earn his money in the free agent market it Chris Hubbard. The former Steeler stayed in the AFC North and joined the Cleveland Browns’ reign of terror throughout the NFL.
His 5yr/$37.5 million contract features $18 million guaranteed. The retirement decision of Joe Thomas will have a lot to do with his playing time this season, but for a mid-tier linemen in free agency, he certainly made out well.
The #Browns are expected to sign OT Chris Hubbard to a 5-year deal worth $37.5M with nearly $18M guaranteed, source said. More help up front for Cleveland.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2018
The rest of the Steelers free agents may not have the same luck. Justin Hunter will likely find himself on a roster, but only as a reserve/future contract guy. Daniel McCullers is a reliable backup defensive lineman, so he should end up somewhere else.
Arthur Moats and Stevan Ridley are hit-or-miss because of their age. As two players on the backend of their careers, some teams may be interested, but there is a chance they spend some of the 2018 season at home.
Next: Kring's Steelers Mock Draft 1.0
As free agency opens up, these former Steelers will begin talks with a number of NFL organizations. With plenty of teams building through the market, there could be plenty of news surrounding Pittsburgh’s old treasures.