Tyrann Mathieu has been heavily linked to the Steelers due to their need at safety, but will they sign him?
With the first wave of free agency over, the Steelers still have some needs to address entering the NFL Draft. Of those needs, safety is arguably the most glaring, as Karl Joseph and Miles Killebrew are the only options they have at strong safety currently in-house.
With Terrell Edmunds still unsigned, it’s still possible that he can still return to start at strong safety next year. However, the name that Steelers fans have their eyes set on is Tyrann Mathieu. Mathieu is one of the biggest names remaining on free agency, and would add more star power to the Steelers secondary, but will the Steelers sign him?
Steelers are focused on youth this offseason
While Mathieu would be a nice fit in Pittsburgh, he turns 30 in May, and based on how the Steelers have operated thus far this offseason, he doesn’t fit into the mold of the player they are looking to bring in. Mathieu is clearly a very talented player and will boost the roster right now, but that doesn’t mean the team will want to pay top dollar for him, especially with some believing he may have lost a step last season.
Thus far this year in free agency, the Steelers have signed James Daniels, Mitch Trubisky, Levi Wallace, Myles Jack, Mason Cole, Genard Avery, and Gunner Olszewski, while also re-signing some of their own players.
Of the players they signed, Trubisky is the oldest at 27 years old. This makes one thing clear: youth is a priority for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. The pieces they have added help infuse youth into the roster, to help the team compete this season and beyond.
Mathieu, on the other hand, makes more sense for teams going for it all who need to win now. While the Steelers should be competitive this year, very few believe that they will be Super Bowl contenders this year.
Thus, it makes the most sense to sign a younger player at safety (or draft one this year), so that when the rest of the team is ready to compete for a championship, the team isn’t paying their safety for what they’ve done in the past — rather than for what lies ahead.
Mathieu isn’t the only option for the Steelers
While Mathieu is the biggest name remaining on the market at the safety position, he isn’t the only option for Pittsburgh. In free agency, some of the remaining players include Edmunds, Keanu Neal, Damontae Kazee, and Landon Collins. Each of these players is younger and should come at a cheaper price tag than Mathieu.
Additionally, the team can also look to the draft to find their strong safety. The draft features some talented players such as Kyle Hamilton, Daxton Hill, Lewis Cine, and Jaquan Brisker.
While Hamilton is widely regarded as a top ten selection, and will definitely not make it to the Steelers at 20, the other three are potential options the Steelers can consider, as a selection in either round one or two, depending on the prospect.
I believe the best option for the Steelers is to address the position in free agency so that they can truly go for the best player available in the draft. Of the free agents, I think that Edmunds and Kazee are the best options.
Edmunds is familiar with the defense, and is also young, with some upside, which should make him option “A”. As for Kazee, he is the best combination of price and upside of any of the remaining free-agent options, which makes him a solid fall-back option.
What the Steelers do at safety will be worth monitoring the rest of the offseason. But one thing is for sure: Tyrann Mathieu is not the best option for them, even though he is the flashiest option and may produce the most right away. The Steelers must consider price, age, and risk when it comes to who they bring in at safety.