4 potential Steelers free agent targets who are ripe for the picking
By Tommy Jaggi
The Pittsburgh Steelers still have enough cap space to make one more splash in free agency. Here are four potential targets who are ripe for the picking.
We are now close enough to start counting the days until Steelers training camp kicks off, but don’t think that Pittsburgh is done making roster moves just yet. Last summer, Kevin Colbert added players like Melvin Ingram and Trai Turner late in the process while even trading for veteran linebacker Joe Schobert.
Omar Khan’s philosophy could be different, but I still think Pittsburgh will look to add more talent prior to the start of the season. Meanwhile, the Steelers are currently fourth in the NFL in effective salary cap space, via Over the Cap, and more moves could be coming. Here are four potential Steelers free agent targets who are ripe for the picking:
EDGE Trey Flowers
It’s safe to say that Trey Flowers will never again earn a contract like the one he did from the Detriot Lions in 2019. After some impressive seasons on his rookie deal as a member of the New England Patriots, Flowers signed a massive five-year, $90 million contract with the Lions ($18 million per year average).
Sadly, Detroit never came close to seeing the fruits of this, and the club terminated his contract following the 2021 season. Over the past two years, injuries have been an issue, and Flowers has combined to suit up for just 14 total games during this span.
Still, his services could really come in handy if he’s able to stay on the field. From 2016 to 2019, Flowers never earned less than 6.5 sacks or 8 tackles for a loss during a season, and he graded out well each year he has been healthy, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Steelers would have to find a way to balance snaps between Flowers, Alex Highsmith, and T.J. Watt — an issue they had with Melvin Ingram last year. However, if signed to a multiple-year deal, this would give them insurance at the edge defender position following the 2022 season if Highsmith elects to sign elsewhere.