With the Steelers now having some additional cap space after the DeCastro release, this is the best way the team should spend their new capital.
The release of David DeCastro was a tough pill to swallow, but because of it, the Steelers now have a surplus of cap space. While this isn’t an offseason-altering amount, it is enough to make some key additions at multiple different positions in order to better this depth chart. While DeCastro freed up 8.75 million in space, the team quickly went out and signed Trai Turner to a deal and ate up 3 million of that savings. So, effectively, the team has 5.75 to offer to new players.
How this works for the Steelers
Now, on paper, the Steelers have more than the savings from the DeCastro deal. But one must account for some of the already guaranteed money expenses that will be added as the offseason wraps up. For starters, the team will need to pay a practice squad for the season as well as carry some spare room for in-season roster moves. As well, a 52nd and 53rd player’s salary will have to be added to the books once the team is cut down to 53 players. Finally, T.J. Watt is likely to get an extension at some point in camp, and it will likely cause his cap hit to raise.
Thus, this looks at four free agents that the team could bring in for under just the 5.75 million dollars the team got from releasing DeCastro. The rest of the space will go towards the moves outlined above. With all of that said, here is the Steelers free agent wish list after the recent DeCastro cap savings.
Steelers sign Jesse James
Projected contract: 1-year, veteran minimum
The first position is an easy one to target, as the Steelers’ tight end depth chart beyond their top two options is full of question marks. In a normal case, having two capable tight ends is more than enough. What hurts the team though is that Pat Freiermuth is a rookie. Rookie tight ends have a notorious difficult transition to the pro game, so expecting him to make a huge impact in year one is a stretch. Add in the fact that he only played four games last season and he will certainly have some rust to shake off.
Sitting on the market is Jesse James, the team’s former starter and a good all-around player. No, James isn’t an elite receiver or a perfect blocker, but he exemplifies the idea of “jack-of-all-traits” and the offense could use a player like that. James may not have the best opportunity with the Steelers long-term, but he would essentially be guaranteed a roster spot given his primary competition would be Kevin Rader and Zach Gentry.
What he would provide is a transition player for Freiermuth. Eric Ebron will resume his role as a starter, but if the team wants to get a second tight end involved, banking on Freiermuth being ready, especially early in the season, is a risk. James could fill in until Freiermuth is ready to add more to his role. As well, he would be great injury insurance. Considering his market hasn’t been very hot, adding James on the cheap would be a great way to allocate some of the DeCastro savings.
Steelers sign John Simon
Projected contract: 1-year, veteran minimum
When potential edge rushers come to mind for the Steelers, names like Melvin Ingram and Justin Houston are the first to be named. They have the most name value and potential to start, thus making them popular options. With Alex Highsmith now the new starter, any free agent brought in will have to be willing to back him up. Given the price that both Ingram and Houston would want, I doubt either would be willing to take less money to be a backup.
This is why John Simon makes so much sense at this juncture. While he could start in a pinch, he is well versed in being a rotational player. He was valuable in that role with the Patriots, playing in 43 games and racking up eight sacks over the past three seasons there. As well, he can play special teams still (he played 38 percent of the Patriots special teams snaps last year), giving him value in a different phase that neither Houston nor Ingram would offer.
While adding a bigger name would lead to a better situational pass rusher, I find it hard that either would sign a smaller deal to be a reserve behind Highsmith. Instead, a player like Simon comes in and essentially upgrades over Cassius Marsh. Both Simon and Quincy Roche can serve as the backups until Roche is ready to become the top reserve at the position. When that happens, Simon would be more depth and still play on special teams. He is a little older yes, but no older than any of the aforementioned players. Simon wouldn’t be a superstar, but he would be a steady veteran presence in a relatively weak depth position.
Steelers sign Germain Ifedi
Projected contract: 1-year, 2 million dollars
With Turner set to become the new starting guard for the Steelers, the focus now has to be on finding some stronger and more versatile depth for the line. Turner has been a fine player when healthy (minus last year, where he was just pretty bad overall), but injuries have been a constant issue for him. If he goes down with an injury, this line could be in trouble.
This makes a player like Germain Ifedi an appealing option. He has the flexibility to play on the outside or inside and was a solid athletic lineman coming out of Texas A&M. He had a solid year last year with the Bears as well, starting all 16 games and receiving a PFF grade of 65.0. His market hasn’t been that hot, and he may be waiting for a better opportunity, but offering him a little extra money now could entice him to sign.
While he wouldn’t start, he would present a far better backup guard and tackle than anyone else on the roster. Right now, the top backup guard is Rashaad Coward, and he was pretty abysmal with the Bears last year. Ifedi would be a major upgrade there. As well, he could start at tackle in a pinch, proving more depth and even potentially some competition for the Steelers starting tackles. He would be the most expensive option on this list but adding him would go a long way to securing a better line for 2021.
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.