5 recent cap casualties that the Steelers need to consider

Kyle Rudolph

Out of all of the recent cuts, a player like Kyle Rudolph should be extremely intriguing for the Steelers. The former Viking is more of a throwback to an old-school tight end, as he can throw a block just as well as catch a pass. While his athleticism is pretty mediocre, he is still a big body that can come down with tough catches. He would make this tight end depth chart instantly better.

As with the other options, the real question for him will come down to price. He was one of the top-earning tight ends last year, but his struggles on the field as well as time split with the Vikings’ other tight ends caused his overall stats to regress. He isn’t the player he once was, but luckily his declining speed won’t matter much as being a burner was never a critical aspect of his game. Instead, he could be a solid possession tight end that can block, essentially an upgrade to Vance McDonald from last year.

Again, the question with him will be his cost. While he will be hard-pressed to get a contract like the one he had before, the tight end market is notoriously overvalued. That said, if he would be willing to take a two-year deal for 6-8 million dollars total, the Steelers could keep his first-year hit at a reasonable level. He would be a weapon in the red zone and a huge upgrade at a position that the team has struggled with in recent years.

While none of the names in this list are top players anymore (or ever were in some cases), they could be valuable additions to the Steelers this year. The team is not yet ready to rebuild as evident with Ben Roethlisberger’s new deal, so finding some cheaper free agents will be key. Keep an eye on the names from this list, as any one of them could better this unit in 2021.