With the holiday season upon us, the team should have these five future free agents on their wish list this season.
While the Steelers have been one of the most successful franchises in the NFL, their team this year has been less than stellar. This means that the 2022 season will be critical for the long-term future of this team. There will be some more money than usual to spend in free agency so the team will have to use it wisely. These are the five free agents that should be on the team’s holiday wish list for 2022.
Steelers should sign Carter
It seemed as though the Steelers had fixed their edge depth issues late in the offseason when they added Melvin Ingram to the roster. That obviously didn’t pan out and now, this edge group is extremely thin. While the Steelers could draft an edge presence, their draft capital can and should be used elsewhere. This means adding a lower-level free agent would make the most sense.
Lorenzo Carter screams what the Steelers would look for in a free agent backup. He is still young, tested well as an athlete, and has been a fine but not great starter with the Giants. His next contract won’t be through the roof given the fact that he only has 9.5 career sacks, but for a reserve that ideally plays 25 percent of the snaps, he would be great.
As well, he can also contribute on special teams. While he has seen fewer snaps there over time due to him starting, he could return to that role as a backup. Carter would be an upgrade over anyone else on the roster right now, and on a cheaper two-year deal, Carter could thrive. He can be a fine reserve option to take the pressure off of the starters.
Steelers should sign Goodwin
While the Steelers have been one of the best teams at acquiring receivers through the draft, one would think that signing a veteran would make little sense. That said, the Steelers will be down two of their top four targets next offseason, so adding a veteran presence, especially in a room filled with youth, could go a long way in the development of this group. On top of all of this, the team is lacking a natural deep threat that wins purely with speed, so a veteran signing could ideally fix that.
While Marquise Goodwin has never become an elite receiver, he excels at winning with his speed and forcing the defense to cover deep with him on the field. At this point in his career, he is a journeyman with little value other than his speed. That would be a great addition for the team though, as they wouldn’t want him taking valuable snaps away from the younger options, but instead serve as a complementary player to the rest of the receivers the team has.
While Goodwin is now over 30 years old and his best football is behind him, he still has the capability to win deep. While he hasn’t caught a surplus of passes this season, he has made the most of them, averaging over 17 yards per catch on the season. He would be cheap speed at this point in his career and quite frankly, the Steelers could do much worse for one of their reserve receivers.
Steelers should sign Kearse
The Steelers will likely be hunting for a new strong safety this offseason as starter Terrell Edmunds is set to become a free agent and will likely sign elsewhere. There is no great option at safety right now to fill in, so one of the primary targets in the offseason should be adding a new face there. Unfortunately, this free agency and draft class aren’t flush with high-end starters, so the team may be in a bit of a bind.
What they should do is take a bit of a risk and sign Jayron Kearse from the Cowboys. He has the size and athleticism they love in their safeties and is still young enough to have a few quality years of play left in him. Despite not being much more than a reserve in years prior, Kearse has been an integral part of the Cowboys’ secondary this season and will be looking to parlay that into a bigger deal next year.
The Steelers can and should come calling, as Kearse would be a versatile option to play alongside Minkah Fitzpatrick. He can play in the box and stop the run as well as use his size to cover bigger tight ends and receivers. All around, he would be a great fit for the team next year. He may be on the more expensive side, but the team would be wise to try and bring in Kearse this offseason.
Steelers should sign Daniels
The Steelers have some huge issues along their offensive line, and while the draft should ideally feature a top lineman, the team could still add a talented prospect in free agency. Versatility should be key here, as the Steelers line has a lot of question marks that need to be built around at this point. A player like James Daniels has to be on this team’s radar heading into the offseason.
Daniels played mostly center while at Iowa but has become one of the more underrated guards in the NFL. He has deceptive athleticism and can get a push in both the run and pass game. As well, he is extremely young, as he will only be 25 next season. This means that his best playing days are still ahead of him and he can be a contributor for an extended period of time.
While never one of the top-rated guards in the league, Daniel has yet to have a completely bad season. He constant grades out in the high 60’s on PFF has earned rave reviews for a lineman from the Bears. With the Steelers having so many questions along the interior of the line, Daniels would be a huge get. He would be a plug and play guard instantly and could kick back inside to center in a pinch if needed.
Steelers should sign Jackson
If there is one thing that the Steelers have learned, it’s that drafting cornerbacks isn’t one of their strong suits. Outside of William Gay and Cameron Sutton, this team has failed with just about every corner they have invested draft capital in for the past ten years. With the team set to lose a stalwart veteran in Joe Haden, free agency will be the best bet for the team to get a solid player to lead this secondary going forward.
A name that sticks out as the most likely candidate has to be Donte Jackson. The Panthers cornerback is seemingly on the way out after Carolina invested and brought in three potential starters this past year to play. Jackson has still been the starter for the Panthers, but the team doesn’t appear to be keen on paying him. That said, he is an accomplished man coverage corner that has been one of the league’s better players there over the past few years.
On top of his man coverage skills, Jackson is also a freak athlete and has a knack for making some big plays and creating turnovers. That would be welcomed in a secondary that has lacked both this season. While his contract would be expensive, the team can afford it. The Steelers will need a new top cornerback next season, and Jackson would be a supreme addition with multiple years left of high-quality play.
The Steelers will be a team looking for some new faces next offseason as they rebuild, and with the holidays upon us, their wish list should already be full. Keep these five 2022 free agents in mind for the team as each has to be high on their additions list for 2022.