There isn’t much to debate here, as it is a no-brainer for the Steelers to pick up the fifth-year option of Edmunds.
The Steelers shocked the NFL when they selected Terrell Edmunds in the first round of the draft in 2018. Edmunds was seen as an uber athlete but extremely raw safety in terms of ability. For his first two seasons, this seemed accurate, as Edmunds struggled to make much of an impact on the field.
This changed last season though, and now the question has become should the team pick up his fifth-year option. This shouldn’t be a debate though, as these are the reasons picking up Edmunds’s option is a no-brainer.
Cost
According to Over the Cap, the cost to pick up Edmunds’s fifth-year option is 6.753 million dollars in 2022. While that is a significant pay increase from previous years, it isn’t a number that is outrageous. Making this even more palatable is that, according to Over the Cap, the Steelers are projected to have just over 87 million in cap space next year. Edmunds option contract would be just a fraction of that.
Now, to be fair, that projected cap space will decrease with a T.J. Watt deal likely coming, but even then, it is likely the Steelers still have a plethora of space. They won’t have a franchise quarterback under contract which greatly increases the total cap space the team will have. Even if the team doesn’t have the most cap space, giving Edmunds his option won’t break the bank.
Commitment
There are plenty of Steelers fans that look at Edmunds year last year and say that it is a flash in the pan and not the real deal. Unfortunately, due to his early struggles, some people have already written off Edmunds as a bad player and not worth the money (eerily similar to another player that will be talked about soon). Even if Edmunds turns around and struggles this year, the fifth-year option isn’t a long-term commitment.
These option contracts are for one year, that’s it. If Edmunds struggles this season, the team will have him under contract for just one more year. They haven’t paid him a giant bonus or guaranteed him a large sum of money. The only thing the fifth-year option does is prevent Edmunds from being a free agent next season.
The only conceivable issue is that these options are now fully guaranteed once handed out. If Edmunds truly flames out next year, the Steelers will still owe him all of the 6.753 million in the contract even if they cut him. That said, it would be shocking to see him do that bad. While he underperformed before last season, he was never as bad as a typical bust. Even if his play takes a step back, he will still be a starting option at the position like he has been before.
Improved play
No, Edmunds was not a pro bowl caliber player last season, but he made some huge strides in his overall game. While Minkah Fitzpatrick is the flashy and talented ball-hawk, Edmunds focused on being the gritty hard-hitting run stuffer. He was solid in that aspect, only missing six tackles on the year. He seems to be developing at the least, so letting him get away so soon would be a mistake.
Where Edmunds really stepped up his game though is in coverage. While still the weakest aspect of his game, Edmunds only allowed a quarterback rating of 55.6 percent when being targeted. This was a huge improvement from the 72 percent he allowed the year before. While his ball skills aren’t great, he did have a two-interception game against the Jaguars this year that showed he has at least improved in that regard.
Even before last season when he still struggled, Edmunds was never a straight bust like Artie Burns or Jarvis Jones was. He was serviceable when on the field, he just wasn’t as dynamic as a first-round pick typically should be. He is an ascending player though, which makes sense given that he came into the league with little refinement and was more of just an athlete. Again, he didn’t become an elite player, but the improvements he made make him worth his option year.
Dupree’s cautionary tale
The similarities between Bud Dupree and Edmunds are almost identical here. Both players entered the league as athletic but raw options and struggled early on. By the time the Steelers picked up Dupree’s option, he was coming off an even more average year. He only registered 6 sacks the season before the team picked up his option and there were a lot of questions if he was worth the money he was set to earn.
It was safe to say that the team made a smart investment, as Dupree balled out with 11.5 sacks and was franchise tagged in the next offseason. Another solid year of play and now a likely third-round compensatory pick is what the team netted from Dupree, all because they saw he was improving and paid him accordingly. The team is in almost an identical situation with Edmunds, and they need to make the same investment in him that they made Dupree.
While Edmunds may not make the same elite jump that Dupree made, it would be logical that his play continues to improve. If that’s the case, he will be well worth the 6.75 million he would earn on the option year. Long-term, the team would have the franchise tag at their disposal, an extension if he really plays above his pay grade, or the option to let him walk after another solid year of play in free agency. Not picking up his option would be a huge mistake at this point.
While Edmunds was a disappointment before last season, he seems to be developing at a normal rate and his play should continue to improve. Picking up his fifth-year option is a safe choice to give him some more time to hit his peak as a player. While he may not breakout like Dupree did, his play should continue to improve. At this point, picking up his option is a no-brainer for the Steelers.