As the Steelers sit here today, they are projected to be nearly seven million over the cap ceiling. That number could seem daunting to some, but Pittsburgh has a lot of things to work with to bring that number down. They have different avenues through contract restructures and cap casualties to make some extra space.
It doesn't hurt that the black and gold doesn't have too many big-name free agents to re-sign either. There should be a lot of turnover with this roster with how their season ended. They again limped back into the slightly above average conversation just to lose in the first round of the playoffs yet again. This club is going to be active over the next several months to try and get a better team on the field next season.
Allen Robinson II would cost too much money to keep around past this offseason
Allen Robinson II might be the most obvious cap casualty for the Steelers this offseason. He was a smart move last offseason as the club traded for him at a discounted rate. His contract structure made last year is a one-year contract that the Steelers could get out of if Robinson didn't work out. He was a solid blocker, but he cannot be brought back at that cap hit.
When you look at the receiver group for Pittsburgh, they gave two solid starters on the outside. Both Robinson and Calvin Austin III were disappointments overall. Austin is still young and cheap so there is no need to make drastic changes there. Robinson is much older and someone who would cost too much compared to what he provides to your team.
He could be a nice veteran option on the cheap and someone Pittsburgh could circle back to if he would be willing to come back on a much cheaper contract. According to Spottrac's website, cutting Robinson would save the Steelers ten million in savings. That is a lot of space as it would put Pittsburgh under the cap and open the door for other potential moves this offseason.
Patrick Peterson didn't do anything great during his first year with the Steelers
There were high expectations for Patrick Peterson coming into the year. Things seemed off even as early as training camp. You constantly heard Peterson getting beat deep in coverage. Many thought it was just practice and didn't take much stock into it. The writing was on the wall and things didn't improve much.
Age is important in the NFL and father time will always get someone at some time. Peterson has been a highly regarded player throughout his career, but his age has become a liability this year. He was signed to a big contract last offseason to be the Steelers top cornerback. That plan has failed, and Peterson's future is up in the air in Pittsburgh.
He has tried his best to stay relevant and worked around the secondary, even playing safety when injuries started to pile up late in the schedule. Peterson improved as the season pushed further, especially when Joey Porter Jr. became a full-time starter. But performance justifies payment, and that has not happened here.
Peterson is a solid veteran presence who could thrive in certain roles, but Pittsburgh would save a little under seven million if they cut Peterson today. It seems like the black and gold could use that money elsewhere. He could return, but it would make more sense to give a younger guy a shot and save some extra cash.
Mitch Trubisky played his way into the cap casualty conversation with his poor play
Another obvious choice here as the list has a couple. Mitch Trubisky simply played his way off the Steelers during his starts this season. He looked terrible and it showed that he might not even deserve a shot at being a number two quarterback for teams. Perhaps his best chance for another opportunity will be playing as a third string elsewhere or a borderline number two.
It seems like centuries ago Trubsiky was the starter in Pittsburgh. They even rewarded his play last offseason as a backup with a contract extension. That move has failed both parties and it seems like only divorce will be a viable option. Trubsiky, and Kenny Pickett for that matter both got outplayed by Mason Rudolph.
It seems like centuries ago that Trubsiky was the starter in Pittsburgh. They even rewarded his play last offseason as a backup with a contract extension. That move has failed both parties and it seems like only divorce will be a viable option. Trubsiky, and Kenny Pickett for that matter both got outplayed by Mason Rudolph.
The third string quarterback played better than the starter and backup on the depth chart. Rudolph would be great to have back as a depth piece in some capacity, but Trubiaky cannot return. His cap savings would be beneficial for the Steelers to release him. His NFL career might not be over yet, but he is getting close.
Ideally, Pittsburgh would find a trade partner willing to take on Trubsiky's contract so they don't have to take anything extra on. That dream scenario seems nearly impossible to happen. Expect Pittsburgh and Trubisky to mutually part ways and it should save the Steelers almost three million dollars in cap savings for this year.
Larry Ogunjobi could be a surprise cut when the Steelers make some moves
One of the biggest disappointments this season has been Larry Ogunjobi. Many rejoiced when Omar Khan re-signed him last offseason, and for good reason. He had a solid year in Pittsburgh and would seemingly become a solid starter on an aging defensive line. Many different things went wrong for him.
After signing his big contract, he routinely misses practices and deals with different injuries that seem to hamper him. He rarely misses time, which is shocking with how little he practices and shows up on the injury report. Ogunjobi has been a disappointment since signing this contract and he deserves to be under consideration for cap casualty.
Perhaps the showing by rookie Keeanu Benton will give Pittsburgh enough confidence to cut Ogunjobi this offseason. He went missing for a big chunk of the season this past year. He would show up for a couple of weeks before he would just not show up. Pittsburgh has a big decision to make here and it seems pretty clear right now.
By releasing Ogunjobi soon, the black and gold would save a little over six million dollars. That is a fairly significant amount of money that can be used elsewhere. The dead cap hit is something the Steelers would need to handle over the next couple of years though. He just hasn't played to a level that is deserving of that cap hit, so he could be someone who is considered a shocking cut candidate.
Chuks Okorafor has been out the door since halfway through the Steelers past season
Another obvious cap casualty option here for the Steelers is none other than Chuks Okorafor. He was benched about halfway through the regular season for an issue that occurred inside the locker room. His benching was from Mike Tomlin as he reportedly didn't like that the offense was still running plays during a time they were out of the game.
Tomlin hated Okorafor's attitude at this moment and started Broderick Jones over him. That seemed to provide a slight upgrade at tackle, but Dan Moore Jr. routinely proves that he cannot be the answer at left tackle moving forward. Now that Tomlin and Okorafor don't see eye to eye, it seems obvious that he will be off the team in the coming months.
Pittsburgh could even consider trading Okorafor, and it seems plausible that a handful of teams could consider him. His price for a starting tackle isn't insane, and he isn't the worst right tackle in the NFL. Many clubs will be looking for upgrades so ideally it would be better if the Steelers could trade him and get a late round pick or something of value in return via trade.
If no trade suitors come around then cutting him is the next best option. Okorafor has always been average and sadly never improved. The Steelers can do better than him, and releasing him would provide nearly nine million in cap space. If the Steelers cut all these players listed in this article alone, they would sit around 28 million under the cap with plenty of space to grow.