4 takeaways from Steelers losses early in free agency

Should the Steelers have kept Matt Feiler instead of Zach Banner?

This one is going to cause a bit of controversy, but I think it is warranted. While Zach Banner did end up winning the starting right tackle job out of training camp last offseason, one must wonder if the Steelers did the right thing by paying Banner and letting Matt Feiler walk. Of course, Feiler did sign his deal with the Chargers first, and he did cost a bit more money.

At $7 million per year, Matt Feiler could still prove to be a discount – especially if he’s lining up at right tackle. In 2019, Feiler had a terrific season playing on the right side of the formation, but his play was less than stellar at left guard for Pittsburgh this year, and eventually, most fans wanted rookie Kevin Dotson in the lineup by the end of the season.

Still, Feiler has plenty of experience (40 starts) and the flexibility to play multiple positions, while Banner has just 2 starts by the age of 27 and is coming off a torn ACL. The Steelers were able to get Banner for $4.5 million per year, but was the savings worth saying goodbye to quite possibly the better player?

The Steelers will have a lot of holes to fill this offseason, and there are still several big names out there who could be signing elsewhere this offseason. Let’s hope things work out moving forward.