The Steelers have a specific type when they look to bring in new players in the offseason. No matter if it is by trade or signing, Pittsburgh has a long track record of targeting players with pedigree or players that they had shown interest in during their respective pre-draft process.
While last offseason was a bit of a change of pace, the top offseason targets for this team tend to follow this outline. With a lot of needs on this team, there would be a wealth of free agents to target this year. Here are ten free agents that have ties to the Steelers this offseason.
Steelers could sign Ty Johnson
On the surface, running back isn’t a huge need for this team. Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris are both set to return next year, and both were core contributors to this offense down the stretch. The only question that needs to be answered is the contract situation for both players.
Finding a third running back would be good for this offense. While the impending running back market is full of elite names, the Steelers need a budget option that provides something different for the team. Ty Johnson best fits that bill with his speed and ability to provide an offense a change of pace back.
The Steelers showed interest in Johnson by bringing him in for a visit before the 2019 draft. He ended up landing with the Lions as a late pick and while he has never been a true starter or even a primary handcuff, he does a lot with a little. Add in his receiving ability, return skills, and cost (he shouldn’t cost more than the minimum) and you have a great cheap target for Pittsburgh in free agency.
Steelers could sign Khaleke Hudson
2020 was a weird offseason. That was the year that COVID-19 started, so it made the pre-draft tracking difficult. The Steelers met with a handful of names at settings like the Senior Bowl before face-to-face meetings were stopped. Pittsburgh did a plethora of Zoom meetings, but the list of names from there isn’t available.
A name that they did meet with was former Michigan safety Khaleke Hudson. One of the new-age big safeties that converted to linebacker, it took Hudson a while to find his footing. That said he was a rotational player on the Commanders' defense this past season and more than held his own.
Where he really shines is as a special teams player. Since entering the league, he hasn’t played less than 73 percent of Washington’s special teams snaps. He is a force there, and that can continue to be his calling card even with an uptick in defensive snaps.
Hudson likely won’t command a huge deal this offseason. While he has value, most teams will want to pay him for his special team's ability over his defensive work. For a Steelers linebacker room that should retain Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts, Hudson would be a perfect cheap compliment to this defense with an instant role as a coverage man on the return team.
Steelers could sign Amik Robertson
I have, for the most part, understated the need for an outside cornerback this offseason. Frankly, I’d rather address some other needs on this team and allow Cory Trice/Darius Rush to be the other outside cornerback. Where my main focus for an upgrade is in the slot, as Chandon Sullivan/Patrick Peterson were very mid-last year.
While he didn’t register as many starts there this year, Amik Robertson would make a lot of sense in that role for the Steelers. His first two seasons with the Raiders were unremarkable and he barely played, but he has played roughly 60 percent of the defensive snaps since. Undersized, he plays with a lot of physicality and can rush the ball.
Like Hudson, Robertson was a player in the Covid draft of 2020. That said, the Steelers did their initial homework on him as they visited with him before in-person meetings were done away with. There was certainly interest in the feisty slot option.
While you could allow Robinson to resume his role as an undersized outside cornerback, he can settle into a more natural slot role with this defense. That would allow for the outside cornerbacks to sort themselves out. His contract shouldn’t be huge either, further adding to his value as a free-agent target.
Steelers could sign Van Jefferson
Receiver on paper isn’t the biggest need, but outside of the Steelers stars in Diontae Johnson and George Pickens, the room is rather bare. Calvin Austin didn’t develop into more than a gadget option while Allen Robinson is likely to be a cap casualty, leaving the slot receiver role wide open for a new option. Another capable outside-depth option would be smart as well.
This is where Van Jefferson would give this team some flexibility. While it looked like he was a player on the rise in his sophomore season, he struggled to remain consistent and faded down the stretch. He was traded to the Falcons in the middle of the season (surprisingly) and posted another dud of a season.
What would strengthen his cause to the Steelers is his position flexibility. He can play any spot in the receiver room which would make him cheap depth. I’d be fine with him in the slot unless a rookie takes that role. If that were the case, you get a versatile depth player on the cheap.
Continuing with the 2020 theme, the Steelers met with Jefferson during the predraft process before the rest of the process was derailed. The team drafted Chase Claypool that year, so the interest in a receiver was real. Jefferson would be cheap depth and a break-glass-in-case of emergency option for the slot spot.
Steelers could sign Bilal Nichols
The defensive line is becoming a hard position for the Steelers to source talent into. College defenses are getting smaller every season, so finding those Stephon Tuitt builds (6’6 and 300 plus pounds) is becoming harder. Add in the rising cost of good defensive linemen and Pittsburgh could be in a hard spot moving forward.
The line could also be a big need if the team decides to part with Larry Ogunjobi. This will create both an immediate need for a starter and continue the need for a long-term starter at defensive end. Keeanu Benton will figure into the equation, but more depth is needed.
Bilal Nichols isn’t a perfect fit for the team, but he is a proven player who can hold his own as a starter. He has been a viable defender since he was drafted by the Bears and has been a cheap starter for the Raiders since he joined their defense. He lacks flash as a pass rusher but can hold his own as a run defender.
The Steelers were heavily interested in Nichols when he came into the league. He ultimately went a little higher than most people thought he would, but it makes sense now. He will likely get a small pay bump, but he could be a cheap starter for this team with a low ceiling but an equally high floor.
Steelers could sign Mike Edwards
Safety is going to be a sneaky need for this team this off-season. Unless they are fully confident in Peterson making the move there or rolling back Keanu Neal and Damonte Kazee, finding a capable strong safety is a must this offseason either through the draft or free agency.
A name that connects a lot to what the Steelers would like is Mike Edwards. He has had a very up-and-down career since entering the league. He was viewed as an undersized box safety who lacked ball skills. That has mostly held up, and it has caused him to be a fine short-term starter but not a defender to build around.
This continued last year with the Chiefs, where Edwards was used more as a cog in the wheels as opposed to a traditional starter. That said, his play, and particularly his run defense, has been a strong element of his game. Adding him allows the team to stop with their aggressive rotation of middling options.
As has been the trend on this list, Edwards was on the Steelers radar in 2019. The team brought him in for a visit, but safety wasn’t the biggest need for the team in 2019. That could change now, and assuming his contract is in line with his previous deals, he could be a good value addition for this defense.
Steelers could sign Sean Bunting
A more clear-cut cornerback option for this defense is Sean Bunting. As stated previously, my primary concern at cornerback is what to do in the slot, but one could argue that outside cornerback is just as great of a need. Bunting can wear a lot of hats for this team and play both inside and outside.
Bunting was an intriguing small school option when the Buccaneers drafted him in the second round of the 2019 draft. While he became a fixture of their defense, other cornerback investments like Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean shined over him. Bunting became a third option and an occasional slot defender.
The Steelers liked him, as he visited with the team before the draft started. The need was there, as evident by the Justin Layne selection a round later, and there are plenty of reasons why the team would be attracted to him. In particular, he is a physical player and doesn’t mind playing the run.
He isn’t a dynamic name, and there will be better coverage cornerbacks available this season, but Buntin is coming off a reasonable deal and will likely be in line for a similar one this offseason. The connection is there, so don’t be surprised to see the two connect this year if Pittsburgh wants a more budget-friendly option for their defense.
Steelers could sign Lloyd Cushenberry
Center has been nothing short of a disaster since the Steelers saw Maurkice Pouncey retire. The team rolled out Kendrick Green as a rookie to disastrous results. The next offseason they added Mason Cole to stabilize the position. He looked the part in his first year, but he failed to play well at all last year.
While drafting a capable rookie would be great, there is no guarantee that they can land one of the top names. If they do decide to go the veteran route, spending a little extra for a capable veteran is a wise move. That is where Lloyd Cushenberry comes into the equation.
Cushenberry has become a stable force at center for the Broncos. He was a plug-and-play center since being drafted, and has gotten better every season since entering the league. He is a competent pass blocker and a strong run blocker. He also has the size you want in a center, something the team didn’t get with Green.
While he was a part of the weird 2020 draft class, Pittsburgh was doing their due diligence on him by visiting with him in the pre-draft process. Had the Steelers actually drafted him, they likely wouldn’t have to turn to a Green in the next year. The Steelers can make this mistake right this offseason by signing him.
Steelers could sign Jaylon Johnson
A name that seemingly everyone is linking to the Steelers this offseason, it isn’t hard to see why on paper. Johnson will likely be one of the top free-agent cornerbacks if he were to hit the market, and Pittsburgh needs a running mate next to Joey Porter. Johnson wouldn’t just be an improvement there, he would give the team one of the best cornerback duos in the league.
Johnson has been a rising player in the league and has gotten better with every season in Chicago. Despite his strong play, it appears as though he is on the outs with the team. He was a hotly rumored trade deadline target, and Pittsburgh was supposedly a potential landing spot. Despite his strong play, he could enter free agency this year.
In the brief window that was open for prospects to meet with teams, the Steelers were doing their due diligence on Johnson. The team didn’t ultimately select a cornerback in that class, but the rumors were there. It would be a huge upgrade to this defense if they could land another viable starting cornerback like Johnson.
While the other cornerbacks on this list have been potential slot options, Johnson isn’t. Signing him would still leave a big hole there, but it gives this team two top outside options. That could pay dividends for this defense after so many issues in this position.
Steelers could sign Darnell Savage
If I am going to call my shot from any player on this list, I think Darnell Savage may just be my guess. As I had said, the Steelers could revamp their safety room this offseason and find a singular name to man the strong safety role. Savage could just be the guy.
The Steelers were all over Savage during the predraft process, and it seemed like a foregone conclusion that he was going to be the target for the team at pick 20. Instead, Pittsburgh decided to trade up in this draft and take Devin Bush given the lack of great options after him. This allowed Savage to go to the Packers.
He has found quite a bit of success there, but his play also tailed off in recent seasons. His role saw some reduction as his play wasn’t always elite. That said, he is a good run defender, and even if he isn’t a traditional box safety he can serve in that enforcer role.
The safety market is also likely to be saturated again this season, so his cost won’t be as high as a typical starter. A former first-round pick this team was all over at a fair price? It doesn’t get much better than this for the Steelers, but they will likely have their eye on all of these former draft crushes.