Here are the predictions for what happens to the Steelers top six free agents
The Steelers have a plethora of free agents set to hit the market in roughly a month. The odds they resign all of them is impossible, and it seems like just retaining one of their bigger names would be seen as a win. Most of these players will be on a new team shortly. Here are the predictions for what happens to the Steelers’ six biggest free agents.
James Conner
Signs a 2-year, 8-million-dollar contract with 4 million guaranteed with the Cardinals
It has been a few years since the Cardinals became Steelers-west, and while the pipeline of players that have moved there have gone down, James Conner seems like a low-risk option for them. While Conner is immensely talented, his injury concerns will keep his value on the lower end during the free agency period.
The Cardinals are set to bring back Chase Edmonds but also have fellow started running back Kenyan Drake set to be a free agent. Conner gives them a different dynamic at running back, as he adds a power element that the Cardinals haven’t really had. As well, with their surplus of cap space, making a cheap move for a running back could make their offense even more dynamic.
Conner can do it all as a running back as well. He has good hands and can block, further adding to his overall value on the market. With the Cardinals, Conner would have a chance to re-establish himself as a legitimate threat while working in a rotation. His injuries would be less of a concern in a rotation, meaning his talent could get maximized on a team like the Cardinals.
Cameron Sutton
Signs a 3-year, 21-million-dollar contract with 6 million guaranteed with the Steelers
While the Steelers cap space isn’t in a great place, the team has to find a way to retain Cameron Sutton. He is young, talented, and versatile, as he can play on the outside or kick into the slot as evident by the success, he had at both spots in 2020. Going forward, Sutton should be penciled in as a starter for the Steelers, either as a full-time slot option or an outside replacement for Joe Haden.
Unfortunately, the signing of Sutton limits who else the Steelers will be able to sign. While his contract isn’t enormous, it will likely take up any of the space they could afford to offer pending free agents. Sutton is certainly worth that money though, as his play this past season was arguably the best at the position for the team.
Signing Sutton will likely come at a cost though. If he returns, it likely means Mike Hilton signs elsewhere. As well, bringing back Sutton could mean that Haden is ultimately a cap casualty. While he may not be the biggest name that the Steelers have, he is the one that makes the most sense to be resigned. If the team brings anyone back, it should be Sutton.
Mike Hilton
Signs a 3-year, 30-million-dollar contract with 14 million guaranteed with Broncos
While the Steelers get to resign Sutton, they, unfortunately, lose out on the Hilton sweepstakes. Instead, Hilton moves out west and signs on with the Broncos. While their roster is young at cornerback, it is also relatively inexperienced and struggled this past season. Adding Hilton would give them a veteran presence and a player who is a ferocious run stopper.
Hilton is coming off one of his best all-around seasons as a pro. He was a prevalent pass rusher and his coverage skills really seemed to take off this year. He was never awful in coverage, but it was always his weaker skill as opposed to his run-stopping and general physicality. He was great in coverage this year though, and it took his overall game to a new level. There is little arguing to it, Hilton is the best slot cornerback in the league.
The Broncos could really use a stabilizing force in their secondary, and Hilton would provide that. While he will be the starting slot cornerback, they may even try him on the outside due to just how lacking they are at the position. Hilton would fit in well in that secondary, and while the team isn’t set to compete quite yet, adding a good cornerback should point them in the right direction. Hilton becomes the highest-paid slot cornerback in the league while the Broncos get a new starter to add to their secondary.
Alejandro Villanueva
Signs a 2-year, 38-million-dollar contract with 22 million guaranteed with the Colts
While it will be a huge blow to this offensive line, Alejandro Villanueva seems likely to find a new team this offseason. He has been playing on a discount for the past four seasons, and he rightfully deserves to be paid as a top ten tackle. The Steelers won’t be able to pay him this kind of money, but there will be plenty of teams that will be willing to pay for the veteran.
Take the Colts, who have an exorbitant amount of cap space despite fielding a supremely talented team. With their recent trade for Carson Wentz, the team is clearly in a win now mode, which means protecting Wentz will be paramount for the Colts. Adding a great pass-protecting tackle like Villanueva makes sense for them. He would slide in and start for the retiring Anthony Castonzo and the line shouldn’t skip a beat.
While Villanueva is an older player, he didn’t start playing heavily until he was older, to begin with. This means his wear and tear is less so than a typical elderly tackle. While his run blocking wasn’t great this past season, his pass protection was impeccable. He slowed down a little bit late in the season, but the entire line seemed to regress at that point as the Steelers’ offense became predictable. Villanueva is still a top tackle, and the Colts would be wise to bring him in to protect Wentz this season.
Bud Dupree
Signs a 1-year, 13-million-dollar a year with incentives with the Chargers
Before he suffered his injury, Bud Dupree was set to earn a massive payday after back-to-back successful seasons. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL late in the season, meaning he may have to start the season on the physically unable to perform list before playing. I see him taking a one-year deal with a decent salary that is filled with incentives to maximize his earnings. As well, he likely signs on with a competitor that can hope to get at least one decent season out of him as they try to compete for a Super Bowl.
This makes the Chargers a perfect fit, as they are likely building a competitive roster to maximize Justin Herbert being on his rookie deal. The Chargers could use another pass rusher across from Joey Bosa as they seemingly prepare to move on from Melvin Ingram. Dupree would fill that role well even as he recovers from his injury. While he may not be on the field from the start of the season, the moment he gets on it, he will become a huge threat across from Bosa.
While the rumors are circling that the Steelers will try to resign Dupree, the odds of that happening don’t seem likely. The team has limited cap space and Dupree will want a short-term deal to rebuild his market value. That means getting his first-year cap hit low will be nearly impossible. The Chargers could use another pass-rushing presence, and Dupree would be a solid veteran to fill that role.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Signs a 4-year, 66-million-dollar deal with 20 million guaranteed with Washington
While the Steelers would love to resign JuJu Smith-Schuster to a new contract, his price point and value will likely lead him to sign elsewhere. The Jets have been a popular landing spot given his connection to Sam Darnold, but he seems like a great fit for Washington moving forward. They already have their athletic freak in Terry McLaurin, now they can focus on adding a physical presence to the group.
Smith-Schuster would do just that, as he is versatile enough to line up on the outside or in the slot and be effective in either spot. Washington will be searching for some answers at quarterback but providing whoever is throwing the ball an ample number of weapons is a must. As well, given the youth on their offense, no one player is accounting for a huge cap hit meaning Smith-Schuster’s deal can be afforded.
While it will be hard to let such a young talent go, Washington would be thrilled at the idea of adding him to their roster. He would become their reliable slot option as well as an occasional outside threat for them in 2021. He brings experience and solid leadership as well, which should translate to some more success for this offense. The seems pretty clear, so don’t be surprised if Smith-Schuster is heading to Washington during this offseason.
While the Steelers would like to have all of these players back, their cap woes make that hard to do. Quite a few of their players will be earning bigger salaries in 2021, so affording them will be tough if not impossible. Keep these price points and teams in mind as we see where the slew of Steelers free agents ultimately end up.