Free agency is right around the corner, and the Steelers have a lot of work to do to build out their roster. While moves still need to be made in order to add cap space, this team should be in a position to add quite a few new names via free agency. This team has a lot of needs, and they will need to fix some of those holes through free agency.
While this team won’t add a veteran at every position, I wanted to highlight a potential free agent the team should be targeting at every position. I have gravitated towards these names as I think they make the most sense from a value perspective and from what the Steelers needs are. Here is a free agent at every position that the Steelers should be targeting.
Steelers could use a veteran quarterback
The Steelers have their starter for better or for worse in Kenny Pickett, but everything behind him is a question mark. It seems like Mitchell Trubisky may actually be accepting of his role as a backup, and if that becomes the case, the Steelers won’t need a tested veteran. If Trubisky is cut or traded though, the team would be wise to grab a veteran like Case Keenum.
Despite a long career, Keenum has comfortably shifted himself into a primary backup at this point. That said, he is a capable player that can step in and start in a pinch. Keenum can mentor Pickett as well as provide stability to the backup room. He will likely be earning less than Trubiksy on top of this, making this both a logical and cap-saving move.
Steelers could add speed to the running back room
The Steelers are pretty set at running back all things being considered. Najee Harris, despite a mediocre start to his career, is the entrenched starter. Jaylen Warren was a pleasant surprise as an undrafted rookie, as he established himself as the top backup. While a third back is needed, there is a real chance that name is a returning Benny Snell.
That said, if this room was lacking anywhere, it would be in the speed department. Harris is a slow plodder and Warren has some burst but lacks the serious speed you want in a position. Ty Johnson, a former Steelers draft interest, is set to hit free agency, and he would be a cheap compliment to this current room.
While Johnson hasn’t become a primary starter, he has served as a good rotational piece for the Jets and Lions. He has speed, good hands, and some special teams ability. Essentially, he is everything that the team wanted in Anthony McFarland. Johnson likely won’t commend much more than the minimum, would infuse some speed, and can play special teams. He would be a great addition to this offense on the cheap.
Steelers should add a veteran slot receiver
The Steelers receiving room is one of the weaker positions on the roster. While George Pickens is a rising star and Diontae Johnson is a capable player when his focus is right, there isn’t a capable third option and no one is an established slot receiver. While some fans claim Calvin Austin is the answer, he is a former fourth-round pick that didn’t play as a rookie. The team needs a veteran to provide some stability.
While there are quite a few pending free agents that would make sense, I’ve been steadily gravitating toward Jamison Crowder. He isn’t a traditional number-one target, but he is a fine slot receiver that is a dependable player when healthy. He missed most of last season with an injury, but he is still young enough to have a few more good seasons.
Given his injury, Crowder should be extremely cheap. While a budget option, he can compete and play in the slot while the team figures out what Austin can do. Crowder was a safety valve for his respective quarterbacks, and he can resume that role with Kenny Pickett in 2023.
Steelers could land another tight end
Assuming the Steelers retain Zach Gentry, tight end isn’t the biggest position of need. Pat Freiermuth is a star, Gentry is a capable second option, and Connor Heyward was a unique addition to the room. That said, I envision Heyward to serve as a hybrid third tight end and fullback.
If that’s the case, another tight end is a smart addition to keep that room full in case of injury. There are quite a few names that make sense, but Maxx Williams would be a typical Steelers addition. Draft interest, pedigree, and the typical size the team wants makes Williams a natural target for this team.
It looked like Willaims was finally coming into his own two seasons ago before injury stopped him. He was a bit player last season, but he would be a capable third option at tight end. It wouldn’t be a ground-breaking move, but landing Williams would give Heyward some more positional flexibility next season.
Steelers can hunt for a starting tackle
While every name on this list so far has been reserve players, offensive tackle is the first spot where the Steelers should spend some considerable money. Neither of their tackles are great, and Chukwuma Okorafor is a possible cap casualty. My favorite name amongst the free-agent tackles is Mike McGlinchey.
The 49ers right tackle has become a steady and safe player along the line. While he isn’t among the top offensive linemen, he is a good starter that doesn’t have many weaknesses in his game at this point. If signed, he could be brought in at right tackle and man that position for the foreseeable future.
While many point to Orlando Brown as who should be the target for the Steelers in free agency, his projected contract is out of reach of what this team usually does. McGlinchey is a player slightly below his caliber, but he would come significantly cheaper and would still be an upgrade for this line.
Steelers could land the top interior lineman
While I highly doubt the Steelers go after a significant interior lineman after adding two starters there last season, if they do, they need to go all out. Kevin Dotson is a very hot and cold starter, and it would make more sense on paper to add a rookie there to compete and push Dotson. If you go the veteran route, they need to be brought in as the clear starter.
The top prize along the interior this offseason is Nate Davis. The former third-round pick has quietly established himself as one of the best-ascending guards in the league. He has the size to maul people, the athleticism to move and block in space, and he is a capable run and pass blocker along the interior.
Do I ultimately think Davis, or really any top guard ends up signing with the Steelers? No, but if that is the free agent route they go, they need to target a top name. Davis, to me, is that. He can still ascend higher given his age and position, and he has already proven himself as a quality blocker.
Steelers could land a top defensive lineman
The Steelers defensive line, to me, is a bigger need than their offensive line. While everyone is quick to attack the blockers, that group got better over time and has five players that could actually return to start in 2023. The defensive line needs another capable defensive end and a better nose tackle.
Dalvin Tomlinson was once seen as one of the better run defenders in the league. He has seemingly shifted his focus from his stifling run defense to getting better as a pass rusher. This hasn't necessarily yielded higher sack totals, but teams have taken notice. Pro Football Focus handed him the 14th-best pass-rush grade among interior defenders last season. If the Steelers wanted to make a splash though, Tomlinson would certainly fit that bill.
Tomlinson could play nose tackle in base defense and serve as an interior pass rusher in sub-package defense. He can also play end, although he is a tad smaller than I would like at the position. Tomlinson won’t come cheap, but if the team wanted to add a quality player in free agency and fill out the remainder of the roster in the draft, Tomlinson could be a top target.
Steelers need a better third edge rusher
One of the plagues of this Steelers defense last season was the lack of depth at the edge position. Alex Highsmith had a breakout season, but the team failed to consistently generate pressure when T.J. Watt was out with an injury. While a less effective pass rush was expected, the team needs to find a more capable third body there.
In typical Steelers fashion, I have them targeting a player they had a pre-draft interest in and who has some pedigree to his name. Chase Winovich looked like a potential steal early in his career with the Patriots with 11 sacks over his first two seasons. He seemingly got in the doghouse though, was traded to the Browns, and struggled with injuries in his season there.
Winovich can still be that third body at edge rusher though if called upon. He has a history of sack production to aid his cause as well as the typical size the team likes in a pass rusher. If the Steelers want to get a dependable name to rotate in at edge, adding Winovich would be a smart decision this offseason.
Steelers could land a capable linebacker
While the defensive line is the more important position, linebacker has to be the Steelers biggest need. The team is lacking a capable and proven starter, and they have two of the players they played there entering free agency. If that wasn’t enough, Myles Jack is far from a safe player, as he could easily be a cap casualty given his lackluster play.
A name I would circle in free agency is Kyzir White. The Steelers, once again, has an interest in him before he was drafted, and he has developed into a more than capable linebacker. Transitioning from safety to linebacker, White had some early struggles but developed into a starter with the Chargers before taking off with the Eagles last season.
White has always been strong in coverage, and he has recently seen his pass rush and ability to shed blocks get better. He would be a good compliment to Mark Robinson if the team wanted him to start, or they could target a more traditional linebacker in the draft to run next to White. He would finally give them a capable three-down player at linebacker though.
Steelers could find a slot cornerback
The biggest offseason question for the Steelers seems to be what will happen to Cameron Sutton. Coming off his best season, it would be nice to see him come back, but unless he is tagged, he will test free agency and see what the market offers him. If he leaves, finding a capable slot cornerback is a must.
Byron Murphy is another typical Steelers free agent target given the interest in him before he was drafted. He went to the Cardinals and carved out a role as an inside cornerback, something he has gotten better at every season in the league. He doesn’t have the outside flexibility that Sutton has, but he can man the ever-important slot cornerback role for this team.
While landing a better outside cornerback is also a possibility, this draft has a deep crop of outside options. I think Levi Wallace, James Pierre, and a rookie could fill out that group well, and Murphy could continue to shine in the slot. Keep his name close by if Sutton ultimately signs elsewhere as a potential free-agent replacement for him.
Steelers could land a versatile safety
My pipe dream as a Steelers fan is for them to add a player like Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to their defense this offseason. If Sutton were to go elsewhere, Gardner-Johnson can fill his role as a slot cornerback and can play safety in base defense. The Eagles used him as a versatile weapon, and he rewarded them with elite defensive play and six interceptions.
The Steelers are likely only bringing one of their strong safeties back, and even then, Gardner-Johnson would be an upgrade over either. He has the versatility to play the slot or even as a hybrid linebacker for a defense. The ability to wear so many hats means that he can fill multiple needs for this defense.
This wouldn’t be a cheap addition by any means, as Gardner-Johnson will likely earn more than Sutton will. That said, his ability to play safety, cornerback, and even in the box makes him an appealing name. This would give the Steelers a top safety duo and versatility in the secondary that they can use while the front seven gets improved elsewhere.
While the Steelers won’t sign all of these names, these are the most logical fits I could find given the need and potential cost of the free agent. The bigger names would be instant upgrades while the cheaper names would fill out the depth chart. Who's missing from this list and who are your free agent targets for the team in 2023?