Steelers free agents who must be retained no matter the cost

Zach Gentry is a perfect second tight end

Another success story for the Steelers, it wasn’t long ago that many, including myself, thought that Zach Gentry was going to be off this roster. The former fifth-round pick hadn’t amounted to anything as a receiver and his blocking was sub-par. That was until two years ago when he came into camp and looked dominant as a blocker.

Since then, Gentry has become one of the better blocking tight ends in the league. For an offense that struggled as much as it did, having two capable tight ends is a nice option for the offense. Sure, Gentry isn’t going to offer you much as a receiver, but he has decent hands and can stretch the seam. What makes him so great for this team is that he can come in on passing and running downs to confuse a defense.

Gentry shouldn’t break the bank, even in an inflated tight-end market, but he should be a priority to be brought back. His value as a blocker alone is unmatched on this team. This offense wants to run the ball moving forward, so having two capable tight ends will be a major factor in keeping the ground game alive in 2023.