6 free agents Steelers should break the bank for in 2022

Steelers must sign Brown

A name that a lot of people should have circled, especially if Zach Banner is released this offseason, is Trent Brown. While he has bounced around the past few seasons and has struggled some with injury, he is the definition of a mauling right tackle. His size and power would help boost this team’s rushing attack.

Brown was a late-round pick for the 49ers in 2015 that blossomed as a starter with the Patriots. He signed a big free-agent contract with the Raiders in 2019 before getting traded back to the Patriots last offseason. He has been great when on the field, as he has consistently graded out as an above-average right tackle.

The issue with him is healthy, as he has only played in 25 games over the past three seasons. 2021 saw him get healthy by the end of the year though, so ideally, he enters the offseason finally healthy. Even if he doesn’t play a full season, having a player of Brown’s caliber would be immense. All of this is especially true when you consider how weak this tackle draft class is.

The biggest question with Brown is what kind of money he wants. Talent-wise, he is easily a top-five right tackle, but healthy definitely lowers that bar. He almost certainly won’t get anything close to the 16.5 million a season he got with the Raiders. 9-11 million over a year or two may work for the Steelers. Healthwise there is a lot of risk here, but compared to what other tackles get, Brown would be a worthwhile investment.