Steelers free agent wish list after David DeCastro’s release

Steelers sign Malik Hooker

Projected contract: 1-year, 1.5 million dollars

The first name that ought to be called by the Steelers is Malik Hooker. The former Colts safety is a talented albeit injury-prone ball-hawk but adding him in a more reserve role would be a huge move. On Hooker’s side of things, being a sub-package player would limit his exposure on defense and ideally keep him healthier and allow him to flash the talent he has. For the Steelers, he would instantly be the top backup safety and would allow starter Minkah Fitzpatrick some more flexibility in the secondary.

Like the Ifedi signing before, Hooker would likely want more than the minimum, but considering his injuries and how late in the process the offseason is, he wouldn’t be that expensive. As well, offering some incentives could further entice the safety to sign on. With him on the team, the Steelers could deploy Fitzpatrick at strong safety and even the slot in some situations, making him more of a chess piece in a depleted secondary.

As well, if the worst-case scenario were to happen (meaning Fitzpatrick was injured), having a capable starter in Hooker would lessen the blow there. He would certainly be a better fit as a starter than either Arthur Maulet or Tre Norwood. All in all, Hooker gives this secondary more versatility and depth. Considering the losses this group suffered during the offseason, adding a talented option would be a wise move.

The loss of DeCastro will be hard to overcome but using the small bit of cap space gained from his release to strengthen the depth on the roster would be a start. These four names would add strong depth to their positions as well as have the opportunity to contribute in reserve roles. The Steelers need to make some moves with DeCastro now off the roster, as this team still has quite a few holes to fill.