The Steelers have a lengthy free agents list in 2023, but these four players need to be brought back at all costs.
The Steelers have a lot of work to do this offseason as they hope to get back to being a competitive team in 2023. While a lot of fans are focused on what new faces will be brought in, this team also has a lengthy list of in-house free agents. While a lot of those names are expendable, there are quite a few that were important to this team’s success.
While most of these names will at least test what their market is in free agency, the team has to prioritize locking up some of their own talent this offseason. They won’t retain everyone, nor do they need to, but there are some names that stick out as must-haves. Here are the four pending free agents the Steelers need to bring back in 2023.
The Steelers defense was versatile with Damontae Kazee
The Steelers defense was a disappointing unit this season, but one unit that shined was the safety group. Minkah Fitzpatrick was incredible, Terrell Edmunds was consistent, and once Damontae Kazee got on the field, he added a versatile element to the group. Edmunds, who almost made this list, is also a free agent, but I think Kazee is the more important player to lock up.
While Kazee shouldn’t be counted on to start every game next season, he can return to his third safety role once the team has a dependable strong safety to complement Fitzpatrick. I don’t foresee Kazee having a huge market right now, so he should be a cheaper retention option. While the team will still have to find a strong safety, Kazee’s versatility makes him a logical return candidate.
James Pierre has proven himself for the Steelers
James Pierre has been quite the success story for the Steelers. Undrafted during the COVID season, Pierre did enough in camp to make the roster outright as a rookie. This was rather shocking since he had no preseason games to actually showcase any ability. From there, he earned a starting role in 2021, a role that he lost due to his very streaky play.
Pierre seemed locked into a special teams role for this past season, but injuries brought him back into the lineup. He didn’t disappoint, as he was one of the better cornerbacks for the team down the stretch. He made the most of his opportunity and became a dependable member of this secondary.
While Pierre isn’t a superstar, he has become a very good special teams player and a dependable starter. Can the team upgrade from him? Sure, but he should be retained through this next season at least. He is a restricted free agent on top of this, meaning the Steelers can tender him easily and his market will be harder to crack. He has earned the opportunity to be back in 2023.
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.
Cameron Sutton should be Steelers top priority
Cameron Sutton has been one of the most consistent names in the Steelers secondary over the past three years or so. He developed from being a package player to a capable slot and outside cornerback. While he was already a name that made sense to return in 2023, he took his game to the next level last year.
Sutton had his best season as a professional last year. He totaled three interceptions (a career-high) and was the best coverage corner the team fielded. Quarterbacks averaged a 63.5 rating when targeting him. That number was only bettered in 2019 when Sutton was still just a package player and not an every-down starter.
Unfortunately, this career year likely has quite a few NFL teams on notice. Unless he is tagged, Sutton will likely want to at least test the waters and see what other teams are offering. That said, the Steelers need to be competitive and find a way to bring Sutton back. This cornerback room needs talent, and Sutton is easily the most important name to retain because of this.
The Steelers have a long list of pending free agents in 2023. While all of them aren’t priorities, the team needs to get working on locking up these four players now. Each of them were important in 2022 and should continue to be key players heading into 2023.