3 free agent do-overs for the Steelers during the 2022 offseason
By Tommy Jaggi
Steelers should have signed Jackson instead of Wallace
As a cornerback-needy team, the Steelers missed a big opportunity to get in on the J.C. Jackson sweepstakes. I went on record before free agency started saying that I would rather the Steelers spend big on 2-3 very good players than piece their money out with a bunch of average-level starters.
Jackson was one of the best free-agent prospects out there. Meanwhile, the Steelers had boatloads of salary cap space and were looking to replace Joe Haden (who really struggled down the stretch). Instead of spending big, the Steelers went out and signed former Bills CB, Levi Wallace.
Wallace is a respectable, yet unspectacular football player. He fits Pittsburgh’s hard-nosed mentality on defense, but he’s not a great athlete and won’t take the ball away often.
On the other hand, J.C. Jackson was one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL last season, and his 17 interceptions and 37 pass defenses over the past two seasons lead the league. He could have been a difference-maker.
3 Steelers Larry Ogunjobi immediately leapfrogs on the depth chart. light. Trending
Obviously, we hope that the Steelers prove to make good financial decisions in the long run and that the players they did sign live up to expectations. But these are three do-overs I would make for the 2022 offseason.