The Steelers signed quite a few lower-level free agents during the offseason, but not all of the signings were perfect.
If being a Steelers fan under a Kevin Colbert ruled team has taught us anything, it’s not to expect any big or long-lasting free agents to be signed. For every gem like James Farrior, the team has a Ladarius Green staring back at them. Even talented players such as Steven Nelson struggle to remain with the team long term. Even with those expected results, the team was still active in free agency this offseason despite a limited cap space. Not all of the signs have the same promise though. Here are the initial grades for the Steelers free agent signings.
The minimum contracts
Grade: B
While I could have gone into detail about each of the individual minimum qualifying contracts as well as the futures-like contracts handed out to the bottom of the roster players (I didn’t even consider them), it wouldn’t make much sense. For starters, none of those players would have earned less than a C grade, as a minimum contract is an easy one to get out of for the team and thus presents little to no risk outside of the minimal signing bonus a player may receive.
While contracts like Vince Williams and B.J. Finney easily deserve an A, Miles Killebrew was more in the C range. While he should be a fine special teams’ player, one more familiar with the scheme and that offers some, albeit minimal, value on defense should have been given this contract. Jordan Dangerfield isn’t a superstar by any means, but he is a great special teams’ defender. Outside of that, the rest of these contracts are neither great nor bad. This seems right in line with what the team needed; thus, a B grade makes the most sense.
Cameron Sutton
2-years, 9 million (plus three voidable years), 1.7 million cap hit
Grade: A+
Easily, this was the Steelers’ best signing of the offseason. Being able to retain Cameron Sutton at slightly below market value was already a great deal when he was being considered just the slot cornerback. With Steven Nelson out the door now, Sutton is in line to be the full-time starter. Considering the lack of options in the slot, it seems likely that Sutton starts on the outside in two-cornerback sets before kicking inside in sub-packages.
A starting outside cornerback for 4.5 million dollars a year is quite the value. For a Steelers team that was short on resources this offseason, retaining Sutton at that rate should pay dividends down the road. There are those that will point out that Sutton is relatively unproven as a starter. While that is true, he has starred even in a limited role. If he falls flat on his face though, the Steelers could cut him easily next offseason and shed some cap space that way.
While the value of the deal was a little on the lower end, it isn’t a bad one for Sutton either. His contract voids after two seasons, so he will still be young enough to hit the market again. He will enter the market after showcasing a few full seasons of starting either on the outside, in the slot, or both. He will still be able to cash in despite taking the smaller contract now. Easily, this deal was the best the team had during this offseason.
Zach Banner
2-years, 9.5 million, 2.875 million cap hit
Grade: B
Coming back down to earth a little bit, Zach Banner got more money than most expected. While he certainly could outplay that valuation, his streaky record made giving him that much an inherent risk. Banner has looked good in limited play, but the problem is that he has only played a handful of games. Sure, he won the right tackle job last year, but he only played for part of the first game before going down with a season-ending injury.
He made 1.75 million last year, so considering he was injured for most of the year it seemed like he would get similar, if not less, money per year. What this really seems like is that the Steelers wanted to have an offensive tackle under contract past next year. This would slow down the overall turnover that the line is going through. It came at a cost though, as Banner is scheduled to earn more than he has proven to be worth this year.
That all said, this deal isn’t horrible. Like Sutton (and most of these deals) Banner can get cut next season with little consequence if he doesn’t work out. The upside on his deal is good as well. Banner will be given the chance to start again this season, and he has certainly earned that opportunity after salvaging his career after almost being out of the league. While the price was a little high based on past performance, this is a deal that Banner likely earns by the end of next season assuming he starts for the whole season.
Chris Wormley
2-years, 4.5 million, 1.6 million dollar cap hit
Grade: D+
When you put this deal in a vacuum, it’s really hard to be thrilled with it. In all honesty, this seemed like an overreaction by the Steelers, as Chris Wormley inked this deal shortly after it was reported that Tyson Alualu had signed a deal with the Jaguars (more on him later). Wormley’s signing was announced shortly afterward, and he got far more money than most thought he would.
Wormley was a fine backup last year, and he figures to be the first defensive end off the bench next season. That said, the Steelers are extremely deep at defensive line, as they have eight players with a realistic chance to make the roster at a position that they typically only keep six at. Sure, this was before the team shockingly drafted Isaiahh Loudermilk in a trade-up, but even then, the team could have gotten by without Wormley.
Had this been a year that the cap wasn’t so strained, giving a player like Wormley this deal wouldn’t have graded out so lowly. With so many other needs on the roster and eventual cuts that took place to far better starters though, giving Wormley this much was an overpay. Had there been no other options on the defensive end on the roster, then this contract would have made more sense. Instead, it seems as though the team overpaid for a depth player when they really didn’t need to.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
1-year, 8 million dollars (four voidable years), 2.4 million dollar cap hit
Grade: A
At the end of the day, I have this deal just slightly under the one that Sutton got. That isn’t due to Sutton being a better player or even a better player, but the voidable years on J.J. Smith-Schuster’s deal are far more impactful and affect the team early next season. On the flip side, it keeps his first-year cap hit minuscule, which allowed the team to make moves that needed to be made elsewhere.
In terms of value, this deal is probably the best that the Steelers got this offseason. Smith-Schuster is worth far more than 8 million a season, as he has been a valuable contributor in the passing game and has served as a decent top option when needed. Is he elite? At this point, no, but it should be noted he was in an offense that used him horribly last season and had limits with deep passes. That doesn’t mean he isn’t good though and being able to retain him so cheaply is a huge win.
When players like Curtis Samuel and Corey Davis get bigger contracts than Smith-Schuster, you know that the team got a steal with him. The only drawback to this deal is the 5.6 million in dead money that is staring the Steelers in the face next season once his contract voids. Deals like these offer immediate relief but in turn, produce bigger cap penalties later on. Besides that, though, this deal was easily the best value the team got and was in contention for the best overall signing for the team this offseason.
Joe Haeg
2-year, 4.6 million dollars, 1.5 million dollar cap hit
Grade: C-
Let me preface by saying that I am a fan of Joe Haeg as a bit player on offense and an overall depth player. In no way do I want him to start any games if possible this season, but that doesn’t mean having a capably sixth offensive lineman and potential swing tackle doesn’t have value in today’s NFL. That said, Haeg got more money than he likely should have which keeps this grade down overall.
In terms of a role, Haeg will step in instantly as the eligible tight end in heavy packages and he should be an improvement over Jerald Hawkins in that regard. That should give some sort of a boost to the running game, which makes this signing on paper an ok one. That said, giving that much money to a bit player in a year that you had little cap space is a tough pill to swallow. This deal seems similar to the Wormley one, as in a normal cap year this deal would rank higher than it did in a year where every dollar counted.
In actuality, I would be surprised if Haeg sees the second year of his deal, as Dan Moore Jr. has the potential to take his spot next season and the team has a history of cutting free-agent additions after year one. This signing isn’t horrible and Haeg will see the field this year, but that much money in such a financially hard season is a tough one to swallow.
Tyson Alualu
2-year, 5.5 million dollars, 2.0375 million dollar cap hit
Grade: A
In what turned into one of the most surprising and unique free agent stories of the offseason, Tyson Alualu initially announced he was returning to the Jaguars but COVID delayed his traves to sign his actual contract. While he was at home recovering, his fellow teammates bombarded Alualu and he decided to keep his family in Pittsburgh. In turn, he signed the Steelers deal for less money.
While on paper signing an aging defensive lineman for 2.25 million dollars a year seems risky as the risk for regression is ever apparent, this Alualu deal was great value. He was prepared to sign for more money with the Jaguars, so the Steelers seemingly got him for below market value. This doesn’t even consider his play, which was nearly elite for a nose tackle last season. Despite making a position switch, Alualu bullied opposing interior offensive lineman. He was one of the top nose tackles in the league despite making the switch to that position well into his thirties.
While there is a chance last season was just a flash in the pan for Alualu and age takes its course this season, this deal still is good value. He is getting paid just a little more than Wormley and is expected to start in the base defense. Other top nose tackles can get paid 10 plus million a year, so retaining Alualu on a budget is a great move no matter how the next season plays out. If Alualu continues to thrive, the team still has him under contract for one more season on top of it. The age is the only concern here, but Alualu showed no signs of slowing down last season.
The Steelers had a busy free agency period this offseason as the team was aggressive in adding lower-level talent. While most of these additions will likely be gone by this time next season, some of them presented great value both for this season and beyond. Colbert took his usual route in a free agency period and landed some quality starting and depth talent. While some deals left many scratching their heads, it seems like the Steelers did well with what they had this year.