During the NFL owner's meetings, we finally got to hear from Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan about their recent slew of off-season moves. They have been busy over the past month with free agency, trades, and different pre-draft events that have occurred. One thing seems certain for Khan and company, this team is not done making moves yet.
They still have some massive holes on their roster that will need to be filled either in free agency, the draft in late April, or via trades. Center remains a top priority to find a starting solution.
Khan stated during his recent media availability that a trade could be a reasonable approach to fix the starting problem at center. There could be some massive upgrades out there for the Steelers to target.
New Orleans might have to trade Erik McCoy for cap reasons
One name that stands out like a sore thumb is none other than Erik McCoy of the New Orleans Saints. It makes a lot of sense for a couple of reasons, but the main one is his cap hit. The Saints had massive cap issues this offseason to become money-compliant with the NFL. They will have another hole to dig out of next year.
Those money problems could mean trading a big contract like McCoy to benefit them in the long run. The Steelers would probably get him for cheap, and this veteran would provide a massive upgrade for Pittsburgh. He has a ton of quality starting experience for New Orleans at center and turns 27 years old in late March.
Ethan Pocic could be an interesting center option within the division
It would be somewhat of a shocker if the Browns and Steelers pulled off a move, especially for a starting caliber player. Cleveland has one of the best offensive lines in football, and that starts at the anchor of their group. Ethan Pocic has been a great addition to the Browns ever since they brought him aboard back in 2022.
He has a reasonable cap hit for this season and next year before he is scheduled to become a free agent in 2026. The veteran player has played mostly center throughout his career, but he has played some snaps at both guard positions. Throw in the fact that Cleveland has massive cap issues after this season and Pocic might become available.
The Steelers could target a top center by acquiring Ryan Kelly
Pittsburgh could always target someone outside the box. There are a couple of things that could damper the potential of a trade between the Colts and the Steelers in a deal revolving around Ryan Kelly. One of the main roadblocks remains to be Indianapolis and the massive amount of cap space they are currently scheduled to have next offseason.
The Colts do have a couple of big contracts on the docket for next offseason, which includes Kelly. If Indianapolis wishes to use its cap space elsewhere, then moving on from Kelly in a strong center draft class might be the best way to go. The Steelers would be getting a great center in need of a contract, which is projected to be valued at two years and over 23 million bucks.
Arthur Smith might want a familiar face by trading for Drew Dalman
With Arthur Smith as the new offensive coordinator, he might want to try and bring some familiar faces around. Some floated the idea of adding Aaron Brewer in free agency, but that never materialized. Smith needs a center that fits his system, and he might want a player that he worked with closely in Atlanta to help bring that over.
Drew Dalman will be a pending free agent after this upcoming season, but the young center has been a quality starter with the Falcons. The Smith connection is there, and the Steelers would be foolish to not at least check into this trade opportunity. Both the Colts and Falcons are in a similar cap situation for next season, but Atlanta has half the money to spend compared to the Colts. Dalman will need a hefty pay raise, but he would cement the Steelers starting center.