Free Agency moves the Steelers should have made this year

Jurrell Casey, DT, Denver Broncos

Trade: Denver acquired him for a 2020 7th

This fantasy scenario doesn’t just involve signings, as some trades would have greatly benefited the Steelers. The best example of this is Jurrell Casey, one of the best interior defenders who was acquired for next to nothing. Considering his size and pass rush ability, he would be an instant replacement for Hargrave.

While playing NT would put Casey a little out of position, he has the talent to succeed anywhere on the defensive line. The biggest issue with this would be his cap hit, as he is scheduled to count just under 12 million dollars this year and next year and almost 14 million in his final year. That said, had the Steelers made this trade they likely wouldn’t have acquired Wormley and could have cut Dan McCullers, saving around 3.5 million in cap space. Another restructure or two and Casey would fit under the cap seamlessly.

While he is over 30, he has proven to be a top player throughout his career. He can rush the passer and stop the run, as well as play in sub-packages like Hargrave, did last year. He would be the ideal replacement and would turn the Steelers defense into a complete and top-notch unit. No new contract would be needed, and if worse came to worse he could be cut in any of the last years of the deal since he was brought in via trade.

While the Steelers have enjoyed a solid offseason filling out the roster, there were moves left on the table that really would have put this team over the top. All of the above players would have had an instant role on the team and in most cases would have been starters next year. While the team is in ok shape, it could have been improved more had some other options been looked into.