3 Steelers who have earned massive paydays before next offseason

The Steelers bye week came at the midseason mark for the league, and the team is performing better than expected. The defense has been mostly positive and the offense has found new life with Russell Wilson at quarterback. I’m not quite ready to hand him a new deal just yet, but if his good play continues through the second half the team won’t have a choice.

There are, however, some Steelers who have already earned new deals ahead of next year. Their play this season has been stout, and assuming they don’t fall off, Pittsburgh will need to find a way to keep them around. These three Steelers have warranted a new deal once this season wraps up.

Steelers need to lock up Elandon Roberts

I’m not sure what the general expectation was for Elandon Roberts when he signed with the team a while back. The Steelers were on a nasty streak of paying off-ball linebackers only to cut them the next offseason. Even if he stuck around, Roberts was a limited run-stopping defender only on paper.

He has exceeded all of those expectations and then some. In year one he had to go from run defender to every-down linebacker and held his own. He makes big plays and is a physical presence for the defense. Assuming he is willing to remain in a rotation on a cheap deal akin to what he signed for previously, the team has to keep him around.

Steelers need to lock up Donte Jackson

Similar to the Roberts deal, nobody was all that excited for Donte Jackson when the Steelers traded for him. In return, they had to give up a top receiver, and most fans cared less about what Jackson offered and were more concerned with what was given up. I was excited to see Jackson added, but I wasn’t sure if he would just be a one-year rental.

He has been an excellent addition to this defense. While his play hasn’t been as red-hot as it was at the start of the season, he has been a great second option behind Joey Porter this year. He is still young enough to warrant a new deal and be expected to maintain that level of play. This has turned into one of the better deals this team made in the offseason.

Steelers need to lock up Dan Moore Jr.

This is a tricky situation, but regardless of how you feel, you have to be happy for Dan Moore. Despite the fanbase constantly turning against him, Moore continued to improve and has developed into a quality left tackle this season. It is just in time, as he is increasing his value ahead of free agency next year.

The issue lies with the recent investments in the tackle room. The Steelers used back-to-back first-round picks at the position, and while Troy Fautanu looked good in limited action, Broderick Jones has not. Banking on him is questionable next year, and the team clearly likes Moore. If a reasonable deal can be worked out, Pittsburgh needs to explore it.