With the 2025 mandatory minicamp in the books, the Pittsburgh Steelers enter the longest stretch of the football calendar year without any meaningful events. This team has five weeks before they will need to report to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA, for Steelers training camp. In the meantime, Omar Khan and the front office should be scrambling to put the finishing touches on their 90-man summer roster.
Following the Aaron Rodgers signing and the 2025 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh patched most of its biggest roster holes. However, their scary outlook at wide receiver and slot cornerback can't be ignored. This would mark the second year in a row in which the Steelers would go into the season without a true No. 2 wide receiver and with an unproven player at nickel cornerback. Both of these roster holes could prove costly.
Thankfully, Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com just made it easy for us. Recently, Rosenthal updated his list of the best remaining free agents in the NFL. Ironically, the top two players on the list are just what the doctor ordered for the Steelers.
Rosenthal's top two remaining free agents are wide receiver Amari Cooper and cornerback Asante Samuel. Cooper is NFL.com's 11th overall free agent from the 2025 offseason, while Samuel is the 21st overall free agent.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should sign free agents Amari Cooper and Asante Samuel
Let's start with Amari Cooper. The long-time wide receiver and former first-round pick has had a spectacular career, most of which came with the Raiders and Cowboys. The five-time Pro Bowler earned at least 70 catches and 1,000 yards in seven NFL seasons dating back to his rookie campaign in 2015.
As recent as 2022 and 2023, Cooper had back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons with the Browns, which included 14 combined touchdowns. However, Cooper's most recent sample with the Buffalo Bills is forgettable. After spending the first six games of the 2024 season in Cleveland, Cooper recorded 20 catches on 32 targets and 297 receiving yards for Buffalo last season in eight games.
But don't count Cooper out just yet. Despite playing his 10th NFL season in 2024, Cooper just turned 31 years old on June 17 and should have a few good seasons left in the tank. For the Steelers, Cooper would act as the perfect complement to DK Metcalf. He's a precise route-runner who can create separation at the top of his routes.
Adding Cooper to an unspectacular wide receiver room would allow Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson to battle it out for slot duties. With a 41-year-old quarterback and in a fleeting window, the Steelers can't leave their WR2 position up to chance, and they need a proven and reliable option like Cooper.
Asante Samuel Jr. would be an equally significant upgrade to the defensive side of the ball. The 5'10'' 180-pound cornerback has played primarily on the outside over the first four years of his NFL career, but he has elite foot quickness and 4.41 speed to stick with slot receivers as the Steelers' nickel defensive back. Pittsburgh's brass showed a ton of interest in Samuel during the 2021 pre-draft process, and they could circle back to Samuel if the medicals check out.
Samuel was impressive in 2022 and 2023, but shoulder and neck injuries limited him to just four games in 2024. Samuel is still just 25 years old, and if he can return to form, he could be a tremendous upgrade at slot cornerback over undrafted rookie Benie Bishop Jr.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' best and most important players—Aaron Rodgers, T.J. Watt, and Cam Heyward—are all aging out of the league, and this team can't leave anything to chance. If they want a shot to compete for a deep playoff run, they should start by signing the top two remaining free agents on the market.