As we inch closer to the start of the new league year, Steelers fans are running rampant with what free-agent or agents they want to see the team sign. While quite a few of these names have merit, there is also the usual slog of big names that this team rarely ever targets.
While not in purgatory as has been the case in years past, the Steelers don’t have ample cap space to make any of the biggest moves. Instead, expect their recent trend of one or two core starters and some versatile depth to be the way this team spends in free agency.
With that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of realistic free agents for this team to target this offseason. No, these aren’t the most attractive names, but I think they all fit what this team wants. Here are my ten realistic free agents for the Steelers to target this offseason.
Steelers could target Tommy Townsend
It is rare for top punters to enter free agency. Teams like to keep the good ones given their cheap contracts, so anyone allowed to test free agency is usually a cast-off. It seems like one of the better names in the league, Tommy Townsend is going to at least test free agency, as the Chiefs need to get creative with their cap and they just signed Matt Ariza to potentially replace him.
While he will cost more than the typical veteran minimum contract, it would be well worth investing a little into the position with Townsend. He doesn’t possess the biggest leg, but he is very accurate and can flip the field when needed. Most importantly, he is consistent, something the team hasn’t had in recent years.
Even with a new scheme, the Steelers offense will benefit from a good punter. They won’t likely be scoring at a rapid rate, so having a competent field flipper will be key. They didn’t have that consistently with Pressley Harvin, so it makes sense to invest and get someone who can do that.
Steelers could target Matt Hennessy
This is the first of a few repeats from my free agents with Steelers connections piece from a few weeks ago. It makes sense, as this team has a type when they target free agents, and it usually centers around players they have shown interest in from the past. Despite a new regime in place, I think this team could kick the tires on some former prospects that they liked.
One that makes a lot of sense and that I am rooting for to happen is Matt Hennessy. The Falcons interior lineman looked like an ascending player, after the 2021 season, as he was the starter at center and played relatively well. The issue seemed to be his pass blocking though, and Atlanta decided to move him to guard in 2022 with the emergence of Drew Dalman.
Hennessy was far less efficient here, and he failed to recapture the stretch of solid play from his second season. He missed all of last year with an injury, so his value is likely at, or close to, the minimum. That is perfect for the Steelers though, as he can be signed on the cheap and serve as depth if he doesn’t win out as the starter.
How I would personally play this is to cut Mason Cole for the cap relief, sign Hennessy to a cheap deal, and pick a center in the draft to compete for the starting gig. More than likely, Hennessy will go back to the bench, but he can back up multiple interior spots in a pinch. Add in the predraft interest in him from 2020 and this seems like a logical move for the team.
Steelers could sign Keith Smith
My first three names for realistic signings are a punter, a backup center, and a fullback. Can you hear it? All of the yinzers in unison are chanting Super Bowl! Super Bowl!
In all seriousness, the signing of Arthur Smith has likely made fullback a bigger priority for this offseason than we may have anticipated. An offense centered around the run will naturally like to have a lead blocker, but Smith in general has utilized a fullback on offense a healthy amount.
On the surface, I would like to see the team give Connor Heyward a shot there and carry four tight ends so he can retain his role there. That said, he isn’t a great blocker, and Pittsburgh seems content with his role as a hybrid tight end.
Why make things difficult? Keith Smith, Atlanta’s fullback from the past five seasons (including the three that Smith was the head coach) is a pending free agent, and he would fit exactly what this offense would want in their lead blocker. He can block, and work short yardage, and as a former linebacker, he is a great special teams player.
No, this isn’t going to get fans super excited, but having a more traditional fullback seems like a need for an offense led by Smith. This signing makes a lot of sense on paper due to Smith’s ability not just on offense but also on special teams.
Steelers could target Cedrick Wilson
The Steelers will have a choice to make on Allen Robinson soon. He was a middling option during his first year with the Steelers and has a heavy contract that he can’t remain on. Given the general shift away from the slot receiver role that I expect with Smith as the new coordinator though, I think it would be viable to reduce his salary and keep Robinson in his current role.
If that doesn’t happen and he is cut though, Cedrick Wilson will make a lot of sense. While he mostly flamed out in Miami, he has still proven to be a consistent receiver even if he hasn’t found the success that he had in his last year with the Cowboys.
He fits what this team wants in a slot receiver as well, as he has decent size and is a far better athlete at this point in his respective career than Robinson is. He can also use his size to throw a block in the run game, and I doubt he expects to be a feature of any offense. With the slot role diminishing this year, that fits for the Steelers.
No, Wilson isn’t a dynamic name or a huge receiving threat, but he fits what this offense wants to do. Add in his bloodlines (something the Steelers love) and the fact that his dad played with the team for a spell and I could see these two parties linking up this offseason, especially if Robinson isn’t retained in any capacity.
Steelers could target Lloyd Cushinberry
I already wrote about Hennessy being a potential fit as a cheap depth option to pair with a rookie at center. If the Steelers decide they aren’t high on this class or want to focus their draft resources elsewhere, Lloyd Cushinberry will become a hot name for this team in free agency.
While 2020 was a hard year to follow the draft given the pandemic was just starting, the team was very interested in Lloyd Cushinberry. The interior of this line was falling apart. A part of that decline was Maurkice Pouncey, who was nearing retirement. Cushinberry would have been a logical replacement for him and could have even kicked to guard in the short term if needed.
He ultimately wasn’t the selection (which led to Kendrick Green a year later), but has since gone on to become a core member of the Broncos offensive line. He has started every game since being drafted (outside of an injury spell in 2022), and he has gotten better as a player every season, progressing into one of the better centers in the league.
He is coming off his best season as a pro and should command some attention from teams in need of better center play. The Steelers certainly qualify, and if they opt to ignore center in the draft, Cushinberry could be their guy. He is young enough and talented enough to play for the next six or eight years and has to be considered as a starting option.
Steelers could target Jordan Whitehead
The safety position is a weird one to plan for in 2024. While Minkah Fitzpatrick will man down his side as a free safety, this team is lacking a strong safety. They tried a dual approach with Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal in the box with ok results, but injuries and suspensions kept both off the field for stretches, and things got desperate.
A name that could be a great solution is Jordan Whitehead. The former Jet and Buccaneer isn’t built in the traditional box mold that this team likes for their strong safeties, but he has a track record of strong play (especially against the run). Given the devalued safety market and his contract, last year was similar to what Kazee and Neal combined to make, so he won’t break the bank.
He is also a Pittsburgh native, which is usually a plus for this team when they add players. He is from Aliquippa and played college football at Pittsburgh before being drafted in the fourth round. I was in favor of the Steelers drafting him when he was eligible and even signing him last year, but nothing materialized.
That could, and should, change this offseason. The dual safety method wasn’t great, and it would make a lot of sense to ink a starter for the same amount that they were paying for their other options. Whitehead would be a great fit for that role and would provide a major upgrade to the running mate of Fitzpatrick.
Steelers could target Raekwon Davis
All of the names on this list follow a similar trend. They are needs for the team and have some sort of link back to the Steelers to connect them. Raekwon Davis isn’t that, as there aren’t a lot of connections between him and Pittsburgh.
If you follow any of my draft content, you know that when I talk about defensive linemen for this team, I am quick to mention their type for ends. Tall with good weight and good length. Unfortunately, the college game has trended toward smaller linemen, so finding this prototype is hard.
Maybe the Steelers recognize this and target a free agent instead. If they do, the best fit from the size perspective has to be Davis. He hasn’t been great for the Dolphins, but part of that has been his role. He has been used mostly along the interior and at nose tackle, which has caused an issue with leverage given his size.
Because of this, his value won’t likely be all that high heading into the offseason. The Steelers can likely ink him on a team-friendly deal and allow him to be a backup. Move him more to an end spot and we could see some improvements. It’s a shot in the dark, but I think a signing like this would make a lot of sense for this team.
Steelers could target Sean Murphy-Bunting
Everyone is salivating over some of the top cornerback names in the market to pair with Joey Porter on the outside, but I have my eye on Sean Murphy-Bunting. This is twofold, as I expect him to not be among the initial wave of big contracts, meaning he shouldn’t break the bank. As well, he is experienced in the slot and as an outside cornerback.
Murphy-Bunting is coming off a cheap one-year deal with the Titans. He was an everydown starter for every game he was healthy for, and instead of being a hybrid slot and outside cornerback, the Titans kept him strictly on the outside. I would argue that was to the detriment of Murphy-Bunting.
He had his best seasons in Tampa Bay when he was used as a Cameron Sutton-esque outside and inside cornerback, and given his ability as a run defender, I really think a full-time move inside isn’t a bad option for Murphy-Bunting. To me, I would rather see the Steelers get a clear upgrade at slot cornerback and let their younger names figure out the outside cornerback spot.
Oh, and can we forget that the Steelers had Murphy-Bunting in for a pre-draft meeting before he was drafted? He can be an inexpensive slot upgrade and can also factor into the outside cornerback rotation. If the Steelers are content with adding another free agent to this room, Murphy-Bunting makes a lot of sense.
Steelers could target Ryan Tannehill
I feel like whenever you mention the potential of Ryan Tannehill coming to the Steelers, fans freak out and cite that he isn’t going to make this team a Super Bowl contender. They are right, he won’t, but there isn’t a realistic quarterback that will. When it comes down to Mason Rudolph and Tannehill (the front runners to be in the quarterback mix), it comes down to how this team views Kenny Pickett.
If the Steelers are ready to throw in the towel, Rudolph is the logical name. He essentially beat out Pickett late last season and looked like an improvement from the horrid quarterback play Pickett provided. If this team wants to have Pickett still be their guy but provide a backup-comfortable option, Tannehill makes more sense.
That isn’t to say there wouldn’t be a competition, there would be, and Tanehill, to his credit, played his best football with Smith as his offensive coordinator. If Pickett continues to play like a mediocre starter, Tannehill will be right behind him vying for playing time.
Fans are convinced that the quarterback room needs to be resolved this season. While I am the first to admit Pickett isn’t a long-term guy, the Steelers lack the resources to get that guy this year. Instead, a down year featuring Pickett and a safe backup like Tannehill makes a lot of sense to me.
Steelers could target Darnell Savage
I mentioned the potential need for a more permanent safety earlier, and while I would argue that Whitehead is the better pure safety right now, I think the Steelers will go after Darnell Savage. He had a very hot and cold start to his career with the Packers, and it seems likely that he gets to test the safety market as a result.
Let’s go back to the predraft process for 2019. The Steelers had honed in on Devin Bush as their target, but they weren’t sure if he was going to make it to their pick. The other name that was constantly swirling around the Steelers first-round pick chatter: Savage, as they needed some more safety help.
As it went, Pittsburgh moved up for Bush, and Savage went to the Packers instead. I have a feeling like this team will try to make this story come full circle this year though and ink Savage to a deal. He needs to become more consistent as a player, but he has the versatility to play either safety spot and thrives against the run. Don’t be shocked to see him join this squad given the interest the team showed in him just a few years ago.
This isn’t the list of the best free agents, and a lot of them won’t be popular amongst the fanbase. That said, I think this is a realistic list of names that make sense for the team. From previous connections to the team to filling needs, keep an eye on these ten pending free agents as fits for the Steelers.