The Steelers hiring of Brian Flores was met with a lot of celebration, and here are six free agents that may follow their coach to Pittsburgh this offseason.
The Steelers made a huge coaching addition with Brian Flores coming in as a defensive assistant and linebacker coach. The former Dolphins head coach and Patriots defensive coordinator is well respected in the league and with his players, and it will likely draw some potential free agents to this team to play with their coach again. In particular, these six pending free agents seem like potential additions now that Flores is coaching with the Steelers.
Steelers may sign Collins
Jamie Collins is a player on the decline, but he has been a proven asset in a Flores-led defense before and would be a welcomed addition to the Steelers this offseason. The veteran took a step back this past season and his age is beginning to catch up with him, but his run-stopping and pass-rushing ability as a linebacker can still be a valuable addition to a defense.
For the Steelers, adding him on a cheap deal would add some depth around their linebacker room. While Collins can play either inside or on the edge, he would be best suited as a two-down off-ball linebacker for this team. There, he can pair with Devin Bush and be the focus on early downs, rushing through gaps and disrupting plays.
Is Collins’s a top name this offseason or one that has to be a target by the Steelers? Absolutely not, but assuming his deal is on the cheaper end of things, this move wouldn’t be a horrible one. He wouldn’t be a starter on this defense, but he would add a different element that this team has been lacking in recent years.
Steelers may sign Johnson
While many think the Steelers should just ignore the running back position this offseason due to Najee Harris being the go-to guy, there are a slew of reasons this team needs a capable back behind him. Harris touched the ball 381 times as a rookie, which has already put a lot of wear on his body. Finding someone to spell him would be a welcome addition.
Duke Johnson may just fit that bill, as the former Dolphins back will likely be looking for a new home again this offseason. While he has proven to be a mediocre starter, he is the quintessential backup for Harris. He can still catch the ball out of the backfield (that is what he excels at) but can add some juice as a runner, as his agility consistently makes defenders miss.
His contract will likely float somewhere around the minimum next season, and for that price, the team needs to be all over him. He can step in occasionally on drives to give Harris some rest and lower his total touches. Johnson has a complete skill set for a backup and would instantly be the second-best player at the position. He was fine as a reserve with Flores last year and may opt to join him again.
Steelers may sign Roberts
Back to the linebacker room (which makes sense, given the fact that Flores is now coaching the linebackers), Elandon Roberts was a cheap add for the Dolphins from Flores’s former team in 2020. While he never became a true starter (he played anywhere between 45-55 percent of the snaps), he did a good job when on the field and could be counted on to contribute in a similar role with the Steelers if signed.
Roberts is a smaller linebacker who excels more in coverage and serving on dime defense. Essentially, he would be a player to push Bush and an upgrade over how the team has tried and use Robert Spillane. Roberts can also contribute on special teams. While he saw his work there decrease with the Dolphins, he can easily get back to running down kicks and punts with the Steelers.
Where Roberts has seen his fair share of struggles recently with his tackling. Since joining the Dolphins, he has posted a missed tackle percentage of around 15 percent each year. That said, in more of a rotational capacity, that issue could be hidden. He would add a new face to this linebacker room as well as a push for Bush. He would be a sensical add this offseason.
Steelers could sign Fuller
Now this one may be more of a stretch, as one could easily argue that Will Fuller didn’t really play for Flores during his single-season stint with the Dolphins. He only appeared in two games due to injury and neither of those stints amounted to much success. That said, Flores likely had a say in signing Fuller last season and he could convince the team to bring him in in 2022.
I’ve written before how Fuller would be a good upgrade in the slot for the Steelers assuming JuJu Smith-Schuster departs this offseason, and Flores would be able to tell the team what he knows about the former Texan. If 2022 was just a freak season derailed by injury, the team can and should extend him a short “prove-it” deal.
Fuller offers sharper routes, agility, and pure speed out of the slot. While Smith-Schuster has been fine there, he is used more as a physical, move the chains type of option. Fuller would be more aggressive on deeper routes and would be a bigger threat with the ball in his hands.
Flores wanted him a season ago and it would make sense for the Steelers to target him now assuming his season was lost due to injury and nothing else.
Steelers could sign Jackson
This would really be a coup, wouldn’t it? The Steelers have a major need at outside cornerback and entering free agency is J.C. Jackson, the former undrafted free agent that Flores helped develop into one of, if not the, best man coverage corners in the league. Could the pair reunite in Pittsburgh? I don’t think there is a fan that would be against that based on how effective Jackson has been in coverage.
Jackson has developed into a ball-hawking corner that can essentially shut down an opposing receiver. He uses his size to excel in man coverage as he gets physical at the line and has enough athleticism to hold his own against faster deep threats. Add in his obscene 17 interceptions over the past two seasons (25 over four seasons) and you have the complete package for a cornerback in today’s NFL.
Flores values the cornerback position, as he was instrumental in signing Byron Jones to a mega-deal to pair him with Xavien Howard on the Dolphins defense. It would take an even bigger deal to land Jackson as he figures to be one of the most expensive names on the market if he makes it that far.
The only reason he doesn’t this list is due to financial concerns, but if Flores can convince him to come to the Steelers and the money works out, Jackson would be a huge addition to an ailing secondary.
Steelers may sign Hightower
The name that everyone has seemingly thrown out, Dont’a Hightower will likely be a hot name linked to the Steelers this offseason. The links are just far too great to ignore. The team almost selected him in 2012 before they opted to draft David DeCastro. Then, when he became a free agent, the team seemingly had a deal on the table with him before he returned to the Patriots. 2020 may finally be the year Pittsburgh gets the guy they have wanted for so long.
Flores was the defensive coordinator for the Patriots and worked extensively with Hightower through some of his more productive years. While he is beginning to slow down, Hightower can still function as a capable tackler and run defender on this defense. He and Bush can play in base defense and in nickel before Hightower comes off in dime defense. He is older than what they typically want in a veteran, but the team showed the right fit can cause them to overlook that in Melvin Ingram.
While he wouldn’t be a full-time starter nor would he be as big of an addition as Jackson, Hightower will be one of the easiest names to link to this team this offseason. His contract, while sizeable, won’t break the bank at his age. He would have an instant role and would be reunited with his former coordinator. This signing isn’t set in stone yet, but it won’t be surprising if this move is announced assuming Hightower is allowed to hit free agency.
The Steelers made a great move adding Flores to this coaching staff. He has a proven track record as a great defensive coordinator and exceeded expectations with the Dolphins as their head coach. Now, some of his former players may want to rejoin Flores in Pittsburgh. These six potential free agents could make their way to the Steelers as they will want to rejoin their former coach.