The Steelers were surprisingly active during the legal tampering period. Here are my early grades for each free agent signing.
The Steelers went into free agency with the most cap space that they have ever had under Kevin Colbert. They are in a new space with an obvious rebuild label put on them, but this team will try their best to right the ship as quickly as possible and create an adequate roster.
Free agency is the first step and the black and gold saw some big-name players enter the open waters. Some starters of their own could also be on the way out as well. There are rumors that Ahkello Witherspoon is going to be re-signed, but with some news breaking of another cornerback being signed, it seems less likely by the hour. Arthur Maulet was also announced with signing a new two-year contract with the franchise.
That news broke right before the legal tampering period opened. When that flood gate was released, many players started finding new contracts. A lot of money was spent, and Pittsburgh shelled out some money themselves.
For the most part, the Steelers went against their usual conservative custom towards free agency. They have been active and adding free agents to this club to hopefully right the ship. There were too many needs to address on this team to only fix things through the NFL Draft.
There have been some question marks by fans with some of the early contracts that will become official any day now. This team still has some work to accomplish with the draft and the rest of the money that they have left to spend.
Different needs that should still be a focus heading towards the draft are quarterback, tackle, guard, center, linebacker, cornerback, and safety. No matter if those positions are added, this club might still need to address these in the draft. This roster still needs some work, even after these early deals.