5 realistic free agent options for Steelers on a budget
By Tommy Jaggi
David Andrews, center
Of all the potential realistic options for the Steelers in free agency this year, Patriots center David Andrews might make the most sense – assuming he doesn’t re-sign New England before hitting the market. As you are already well aware at this point, former All-Pro center, Maurkice Pouncey, has officially retired from the NFL, and Pittsburgh is left with just J.C. Hassenauer as the only other potential option at the center position.
Andrews has never received a ton of recognition and he isn’t considered one of the best in the league at his position, but there are several reasons why he would make a ton of sense. The most important is because this fills a huge position of need. If Pittsburgh doesn’t explore capable center options prior to the draft, they will be forced to use one of their top draft choices to fill this need – whether the value is there or not. In addition, there’s no guarantee that whichever rookie they draft will be ready to come in and compete for a championship from day one.
In contrast, Andrews was part of a New England team that already won two Super Bowls since he joined the league in 2015, and he was part of the very good pass-protecting offensive line with the Patriots. Signing Andrews wouldn’t exactly be a flashy move, but he could be an immediate upgrade over Pouncey who had really declined over the past two seasons.