8 offseason moves Steelers will regret not making in 2021
By Andrew Falce
Steelers should have signed Kerrigan
It wasn’t a particular shock that Washington didn’t prioritize bringing back Ryan Kerrigan after the heavy investments they have made along their defensive line. What was shocking was that the Steelers reportedly threw their name into the Kerrigan hat. While older than the average free-agent target, Kerrigan would have been a valuable addition to a weak edge group that needs some additional depth.
A noted sack artist, Kerrigan is beginning to slow down as age catches up to him. He is still a quality rotational player at the edge position though. As well, he was even a factor on special teams last season, playing the most percentage of snaps there that he ever has. This means that while he would have been signed as the third-string edge rusher, he still could have contributed to the team through special teams’ play.
I am as high as anyone on the potential Quincy Roche but expecting a sixth-round rookie to take on the role of top edge rusher is pretty optimistic. Instead, adding an option like Kerrigan would give Roche more time to develop this season as Kerrigan took on the majority of backup snaps. While his contract was on the pricier side, the release of David DeCastro would have made his cap hit tolerable. The Steelers showed interest in him, but they really should have made more of an effort to bring him in.
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The Steelers were never going to be big spenders this offseason due to cap restraints. That said, there were plenty of moves made around the league that would have made their team better. If the depth falters on this team, they certainly could regret not making any of these deals during the 2021 offseason.