While the Steelers weren’t big players this offseason, these five moves stood out as the best that the team made in 2021.
The Steelers were never going to be overly active during this past offseason, as their cap limitations were some of the worst in the league. That said, the team was focused on making a flurry of low-risk, low reward signings. Add in a standard draft and this offseason was a far cry from the spending spree two seasons ago or the lack of trade capital from last year’s draft. While some of the moves the team made were puzzling, these five moves are definitely ones that the Steelers appeared to get right.
Steelers re-sign Alualu
In what was one of the more shocking turns of events for the Steelers, Tyson Alualu made a surprising move as he initially agreed to a deal with the Jaguars, got sick with COVID, and while in quarantine decided to stay in Pittsburgh. He rejected the Jaguars deal and signed a deal for less money to play for the Steelers in 2021. Despite the unusual way he ended up back on the roster, the team retaining him was a huge win.
Despite making a positional switch at a very old age, Alualu was dominant in the middle of the defense last season. He was an anchor against the run and a bully along the interior of opposing offensive lines. His contract was for a fair price and it has little long-term risk attached to it. Even if Alualu falls off next season due to his age, his deal is one that would be easy to get out of. Considering how well he played last year though, doubting that he will earn that second year seems like an unwise bet.
The Steelers quarterback moves
Frankly, I could have spaced this out over three different pages, as the Steelers handled a tricky quarterback room perfectly this offseason. For starters, the team added a new, high-potential face in Dwayne Haskins to the roster. The former first-round pick has a cannon for an arm but needs to develop professionally if a team wants to count on him in any capacity. That said, getting a player with his upside for essentially nothing was a solid move.
Even trickier was the Ben Roethlisberger situation, as the elderly starter was originally slated to count roughly 41 million against the cap in 2021. Options varied from cutting him, to re-signing him, to just eating that cap hit for one last year. None of those options were ideal though, as each had a good deal of downside attached to it. Instead, the Steelers gave Roethlisberger a voidable deal and got him to take a pay decrease. No matter what you think about Roethlisberger heading into this season, the deal he took is beyond fair for a player of his caliber.
Finally, the extension the Steelers worked out with Mason Rudolph was the best move in this room during the offseason. While Rudolph has been far from dynamic, he showed a clear improvement in his lone start against the Browns last year. As well, he no is under contract through next year, and assuming Roethlisberger retires after next year, it gives the team a capable veteran option in 2021. The value was fair as well, as his deal falls in line with what a top backup typically gets paid.
This position was handled just about as well as it could have been all things considered. The franchise quarterback was retained on a very fair deal while two younger options will have the opportunity to stick past this season. Is the Steelers’ future franchise quarterback on this current roster? The odds are no, but the team did the best they could to field a competitive team this year while also giving them flexibility and options beyond 2021.
Steelers drafted Freiermuth
While Eric Ebron is firmly entrenched as the starting tight end, the Steelers had both short- and long-term question marks surrounding this group. Entering the draft, the team had no clear number two option to play behind. Had the team not targeted a tight end early, more than likely the team would have been forced to find a veteran free agent. While there are some intriguing names on the market, none of them would be ideal second-string players.
Luckily, Pat Freiermuth fell to the Steelers in the second round of the draft. While he isn’t the unique prospect that Kyle Pitts is, nor is he the receiving threat that Ebron currently is, but he has legitimate starting potential. Freiermuth is more of a complete tight end though, and his physical nature and upside as a blocker make him a potential starter as early as next year.
The best thing about this situation is that tight ends usually have a harsh curve when going pro. While adjusting this season, he can serve as the top backup and blocking tight end with little pressure for him to be a top receiving threat. Next year, with Ebron likely out the door, Freiermuth can step in as the complete starter. He was good value in the second and his long-term value can be as a complete starter.
Steelers re-sign Sutton
It was a tumultuous year for the Steelers and their secondary. Mike Hilton was able to sign elsewhere while the team opted to cut a starting outside cornerback in Steven Nelson. There are a lot of questions with this depth chart now, but the one saving grace that the team has is the returning Cameron Sutton. While only a versatile backup and spot starter, Sutton has all the pieces to be a key starter going forward.
His price came in rather low as well, as he only signed a two-year deal worth 9 million total. Add in the voidable years that the team gave him to lower his cap hit and Sutton is only counting for 1.7 million dollars this year. Considering some estimates saw him earning between 5-6 million a season, the affordable first year and contract as a whole is a wise move.
Add in his play, which has progressively gotten better year by year and you have a player that is on the rise on a team-friendly deal. Losing the talent that they did in the secondary was rough, but having Sutton return this season as a starter certainly helps aid that blow. The Steelers have a promising young cornerback now to lead this group as a starter this season and likely as the top option next year assuming Joe Haden departs.
Steelers re-sign Smith-Schuster
J.J. Smith-Schuster has had one of the most up and down four years with the Steelers than any player before him. He entered the league as a young, unassuming player who shined when lined up opposite of Antonio Brown. Once Brown left, Smith-Schuster still produced but was hampered by being the top target, injuries, and some of the most uncreative usages that an offensive coordinator could come up with. Add in his now polarizing view with the fanbase due to his social media presence and you have a player that not all of Steelers nation is happy to welcome back.
There seemed to be little hope for Smith-Schuster to return this season as receivers typically get paid in the offseason. However, the market was extremely cool this offseason as most of the top options got deals far below what was expected. This opened the door for a Smith-Schuster reunion, as the team signed him to a one-year deal worth only 8 million dollars. Better yet, the deal has voidable years meaning he only counts for 2.4 million dollars towards the salary cap this season.
One can argue Smith-Schuster’s merits as an elite starter, but he is a great second option at worst at this stage of his career. His deal was a discount, especially when you consider the fact that Corey Davis and Curtis Samuel got more money than he did despite being worse players. Smith-Schuster returning at such a discounted rate was a huge win and easily the Steelers’ best move this offseason.
While the Steelers’ offseason wasn’t overly eventful, they made some high potential moves as a whole. There were some tough losses sure, but these five moves will ensure the team remains competitive this season. Easily, these five moves were the best the team made during 2021 so far.