5 recent cap casualties that the Steelers need to consider

Buster Skrine

There is a real possibility that the Steelers lose both Cameron Sutton and Mike Hilton in free agency, and if they do, slot corner suddenly becomes a huge hole for the team. Considering a player like Hilton on average plays 70-80 percent of the defensive plays despite being in a sub-package just goes to show how important this role has become. While the team has some youthful depth options in James Pierre and Justin Layne, neither are fit to man the slot.

While the team ideally brings back Sutton (Hilton is as good as gone, unfortunately), even he may be too expensive to sign. If both options walk, a player like Buster Skrine could be a cheap fill-in for the team. While he is far from the days of being one of the better slot options in the league, Skrine can still serve in that role. It would be a downgrade yes, but considering he would likely sign for close to the minimum, it could be a way for the team to preserve cap.

As well, the team could still target more of a slot option in the draft at some point. That would give the Steelers six corners to put on the roster, a number that they have worked with before. The biggest plus to Skrine is his likely salary, as it is hard to imagine him signing a significant contract. The team could lock him up cheap for a year, look to the draft for a developmental option, and more than likely hold off this position from becoming desperate until a year from now.