Free agency has quieted down, and while the occasional big deal comes and goes, the frenzy that was the early portion of the offseason has passed. The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a few notable moves already and seem mostly done with major outside acquisitions.
However, it feels like the Steelers missed out on a perfect budget signing in Christian Kirk.
Kirk was a name that had a few dots connected to Pittsburgh this offseason. The team had pursued him in years past, and he would have provided a viable second or third option for the offense for cheap.
He signed for even less than I thought he would have, going to San Francisco on a one-year deal for just $6 million. Even with Michael Pittman in the room, this seems like a miss by the front office.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should have tried to sign Christian Kirk
While receiver will still be the top priority in the draft, having another capable veteran would have given this team much more draft flexibility. It still feels like you have to take a receiver within the first three rounds.
Kirk would have changed that, and even if the team still did draft a receiver, it would make you four deep at a critical position. Given how light the receiver depth has been in recent years, that isn’t a bad thing.
Kirk is better as a slot receiver (currently an open spot on offense) and thrives with his route running and ability to separate on short/intermediate routes. Those are things missing in this receiver room.
Bringing him in for how cheap he ended up signing would have been perfect. You can still draft a receiver early, and at that price, Kirk can become more of a fourth option.
Now, though, it feels like you have to take one early, and scenarios like that never work out. The receiver draft class is deep but lacks a lot of true top names. If they miss out on the top names, they may feel like they have to overdraft a receiver to fill that need.
While my desire to bring in Kirk cooled after the Pittman deal, given the price, it feels like a missed opportunity. He would have given you three viable starters with another rookie on the way to learn behind them.