3 free agents Steelers must sign after Week 1 win over Bills

Steelers should sign Rick Wagner

I’ll be honest when I say that I haven’t really been on board with the Steelers signing an offensive tackle. While I recognize the need, I expected Chukwuma Okorafor to have done better after playing a significant number of snaps last year. He was a mess in his first game, though, and it seems as though he has maxed out as a player and frankly, he shouldn’t be seeing the field as a starter.

Adding a player like Ricky Wagner would remedy that.

Wagner has been an above-average right tackle/swing tackle during his career so far. He posted a solid 77 Pro Football Focus rating last year with the Green Bay Packers, but financial reasons caused them to move on from him this offseason.

While a little older at 31 years old, Wagner is a great fit for a physical line, and he would be an instantaneous upgrade over Okorafor. Known for his mauling run blocking, Wagner would aid in doing his part to open up lanes for Najee Harris, something the rookie back didn’t have the luxury of in the Week 1 game.

Now, Wagner isn’t the top tackle on the market. That distinction goes to Mitchell Schwartz and Russell Okung. However, Schwartz is still recovering from back surgery (had he been healthy his name would have been here) and Okung has only played left tackle. Signing him would lead to similar pains the Baltimore Ravens just had with moving Alejandro Villanueva to the right side of their line.

That leaves Wagner as the best option then, as he can fill in at right tackle and keep Okorafor on the bench. When Zach Banner returns, he could shift to swing tackle and give this team better depth along their line. Overall, he makes too much sense not to bring in at this point.

Even with the Steelers winning their Week 1 matchup, there are still some holes on this roster that have to be filled. These three veterans all make sense for Pittsburgh, as adding them would help build a more complete and competitive roster.

Keep them in mind as the team gets ready to face off against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2.