The Pittsburgh Steelers wasted no time taking a shot at a high-profile player in free agency. After trading for wide receiver Michael Pittman, and less than three hours after the start of the NFL's negotiation period, the front office struck a contract agreement for cornerback Jamel Dean.
Dean, a 2019 third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has been the epitome of consistency throughout his career. Now the shutdown cornerback lands in Pittsburgh and will work alongside Joey Porter Jr.
The Steelers inked Dean to a respectable three-year, $36.75 million contract. And when you consider that Trent McDuffie recently broke the cornerback market with $31 million per year, $12.25 million per season for an excellent starting CB, Dean looks like a steal.
But if you liked the free-agent signing initially, you're going to love it even more after hearing about this quiet little detail.
Jamel Dean's signing won't count against the Pittsburgh Steelers' compensatory formula
Getting Dean is a win for a cornerback-needy team like the Steelers. The best part is knowing that the Steelers are getting a rock-solid CB opposite Joey Porter Jr. in the secondary—one who can mirror and match receivers with the best cornerbacks in the game.
But as a sneaky bonus, Dean's contract will not count against the Steelers' compensatory formula in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers removed a year from Dean's contract and reduced his salary—amove that helped the Bucs financially and allowed Dean to hit free agency sooner—the comp formula no longer comes into play with Dean's signing.
This means that, instead of potentially cancelling out a comp pick next year, the Steelers could be on track to gain compensatory selections next season, barring a major free-agent signing.
Something to note is that the Steelers don't have many costly departures so far, like they did last year when players like Dan Moore Jr., Russell Wilson, and Justin Fields each joined new teams as free agents. However, with players like Kenneth Gainwell and James Pierre departing, the Steelers have a chance to be awarded comp picks in next year's draft.
This can be canceled out at any time if the Steelers elect to sign players of equal or greater value than Gainwell and Pierre, which they still could. However, it appears Omar Khan could be opting for the same free-agent philosophy as last season—keeping his signings to either budget players or those who do not impact the comp formula.
While we might not think this is a big deal, it was this philosophy last offseason that led the Steelers to a collection of 12 combined draft picks ahead of next month's draft.
Jamel Dean was already a fun splash signing by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the fact that his three-year, $36.75 million contract doesn't count against the compensatory formula makes this free-agent signing all the sweeter.