There is not a ton of money to work with this offseason for the Steelers when it comes to free agency. Even though they do not have a lot of spending change right now, plenty of moves could be made to open up some money. Different methods like cutting some cap casualties and restructuring other expensive deals should help.
Plenty of rumors for this upcoming offseason have already kicked off and it seems like another busy couple of months will be in store for the team. The Steelers have proven to be fairly busy the past couple of free agency periods. That should not slow down as they try and find different avenues to improve their club as much as possible.
Many positions and spots across the roster will be in search of upgrades as the regular season for next year gets closer by the day. Quarterback is the obvious one that stands out especially how Mason Rudolph outperformed every performance by Kenny Pickett throughout his career when it comes to an outcome in a game.
Eli Apple is not the answer as the Steelers second corner back this offseason
Cornerback has not been the strongest position under Mike Tomlin as a whole, but they have found some quality top-cover guys before. They have seemingly found one in Joey Porter Jr., but their second cornerback spot leaves a lot to be desired. Levi Wallace has not worked out and there are rumors that Pittsburgh could add to that spot in free agency again.
Eli Apple could be someone the Steelers show interest in as a proven veteran who would come on a cheap deal. He has not been a quality starter for most of his NFL career but has found starting opportunities on the cheap for some competitive teams in the past. Apple would be another issue on the opposite side of Porter, just like Wallace is this season.
Devin White would cost too much for Pittsburgh during free agency
Many fans are not too thrilled that the Steeler's defense is one of the highest-paid in the NFL. They do put their money where their mouths are with their performances. Signing another expensive free-agent option this offseason might not be the best way to go. Pittsburgh has to fix their offense and their defense will survive with who they got.
Devin White was drafted a couple of picks before Devin Bush in a draft that many expected to produce both as big-time defensive players. Neither has been great throughout their careers to this point, but Bush has been far worse than White has. White has produced some decent numbers for most of his career, but this year saw a drop-off.
Even though Bush will probably be out of the NFL sometime in the next couple of years, White might not be too far behind him. The Steelers showed a lot of interest in him during the pre-draft process, but they did not have the option to select him. Maybe they will circle back to him during free agency, but that price might be too high.
The fact is that Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander formed a strong duo, but the injury bug was too much this season. The Steelers should return those two into the fold and only consider White if they lose Alexander to free agency, and if White would take a cheap one-year deal. Investing a poor contract on an already expensive defense would not be the best decision.
Russel Wilson would bring too much of a circus for the Steelers at quarterback
Russel Wilson will be officially out of Denver as soon as the Broncos make his release official this offseason. Maybe they will try and facilitate a trade, but it is hard to believe that a team would take on his hefty contract that remains. Denver will be cutting him and trying to move on after dealing multiple draft picks for the former Seattle Seahawks quarterback.
With Pickett struggling as the starting quarterback for Pittsburgh, many have connected Wilson to the Steelers this offseason. He might be looking to find a place where he could win, and the Steelers just need a fix at quarterback to compete next season. Wilson does not seem like the answer as many have questioned his leadership and skills in recent years.
Many have started to come out and speak about Wilson and the lack of leadership that he provides to a team. That is already a red flag and this team needs a quarterback that is a leader and someone that can get them to victory. Ever since he left Seattle, Wilson has not been the same player and many wonder if a change of scenery will help or not.
Perhaps Wilson just did not fit in the Broncos offense and that caused his play to dip in recent years. It seems like age just might be catching up to the quarterback, and the circus that would come with the signing would be against the norm for the Steelers organization. If he takes a cheap deal then maybe it could be more realistic, but fans would surely scoff at this plan.