The Steelers have already lost a number of big names in free agency with more likely to come. Here’s what it means for the team.
The Steelers haven’t necessarily had an active free agency, but fans have been quick to refresh Twitter to see which of their players has been snatched up by an opposing team. Already, there has been a surprising amount of action in this department. While Pittsburgh was able to retain cornerback Cameron Sutton and offensive tackle Zach Banner, their losses have drastically outweighed the few players they have been able to bring back so far.
Though a few big names like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Alejandro Villanueva, and James Conner are currently left unsigned, the Steelers have already waved goodbye to key players like Bud Dupree, Mike Hilton, Matt Feiler, and Tyson Alualu. They also recently cut linebacker Vince Williams. Here are my early takeaways from Pittsburgh’s free-agent losses early on:
Losing Mike Hilton stings
I’m not going to lie, when I saw how reasonable of a deal cornerback Mike Hilton signed for, I really wished the Steelers could have found the money to match his offer. The Cincinnati Bengals were able to obtain the physical nickel cornerback on a 4-year, $24 million deal. His $6 million per year cap hit is lower than Sportrac initially projected, and Pittsburgh could have found a way to make this work.
Obviously, retaining Cameron Sutton certainly helps soften the blow. Sutton’s deal looks terrific at 2 years, $9 million, and I do think the Steelers made the right choice between the two. However, you can never have too many good cornerbacks, and Hilton was just a perfect fit in Pittsburgh. It made me sad to see him go.
Bud Dupree was overpaid
Disagree with me if you will, but I truly believe Bud Dupree got more money than he was deserving of in free agency. The Tennessee Titans made Dupree an offer he couldn’t refuse and the former first-round pick cashed in on a 5-year, $82.5 million deal with a whopping $35 million guaranteed. This will earn Dupree $16.5 million per season.
Though he struggled to take off in his first three seasons, Dupree really started to come alive in years four and five for Pittsburgh. In 2019, Dupree posted career-high numbers in tackles (68), sacks (11.5), tackles for a loss (16), quarterback hits (17), and forced fumbles (4). Dupree was on pace for another impressive season in 2020 before tearing his ACL after 11 games last year.
However, despite his respectable production, the Titans might not get their money’s worth out of this deal. It’s important to consider that Dupree had the benefit of playing opposite of T.J. Watt as well as lining up alongside Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt who demand attention. He was also in a blitz-heavy scheme and saw a lot of free rushes that helped contribute to his production. Bud Dupree is a solid football player, but that’s a lot of money to fork up for a guy who was clearly the second fiddle on the team. At least he will award the Steelers a nice compensatory pick in 2022.
Steelers can replace Tyson Alualu easier than you think
I really thought there was a solid chance that the Steelers would be able to retain Tyson Alualu at least for the 2021 season. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars apparently offered more than Pittsburgh was able to hand out at $3 million per season. Alualu proved to be a terrific signing by the Steelers back in 2017, and 2020 was arguably his best season with the team.
Though this loss stings a little bit, don’t make it out to be something bigger than it actually is. Despite his terrific grade from Pro Football Focus last season, Alualu is still just a situational, run-stuffing defensive lineman. He didn’t get an outrageous amount of pressure rushing the quarterback, and his production can easily be replaced (he recorded just 2.0 sacks and 4 tackles for a loss in 15 games).
While the Steelers may not have the answer at nose tackle currently on the roster, there are much bigger fish to fry, and nose tackle is only a part-time role as it is. Alualu was a very solid football player, but it would have been hard to offer him much more than the Jaguars did when he turns 34 in May. He will have a chance to finish his career with the team that drafted him 10th overall all the way back in 2010.
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.