4 free agents the Steelers must sign before the 2021 draft
By Andrew Falce
Jesse James
Continuing the theme of re-signing former players, Jesse James is still on the market and looking for a home. Much has already been said about the former Steelers tight end reuniting with the team that drafted him, and the move still makes a lot of sense on paper. Sure, James made some comments against the team when he left two years ago but considering the state of the team (the Antonio Brown/Le’Veon Bell saga), he wasn’t wrong. I would imagine the team and him could easily bury that hatchet.
Frankly, the Steelers should be scrambling to sign an option like James. His market would seem to be not much more than the minimum right now, meaning he could provide the team with a solid backup option at a cheap cost. Eric Ebron is returning as the starter, but there is next to nothing behind him in terms of depth. Zach Gentry has done nothing since being drafted in the fifth round and Kevin Rader looked fine as a depth piece in very limited action last season.
It seems like the Steelers are set on taking a tight end relatively early in the draft but having James as a safety net couldn’t hurt. Even if they do go after an early tight end, that position usually has a curve to learn. Even as a number two option, the rookie would likely need some time to get acclimated. James can do a bit of everything as a reserve, and he would be the perfect signing as the number two tight end.