Steelers free agency grades: Pittsburgh one-ups Kevin Colbert's final offseason

I'm not sure anyone would have predicted that the first week of free agency would have been so eventful for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sitting in a financial hole just a week before the start of the 2023 free agency period, adding any splash players seemed like a pipe dream. We were proven wrong.

Many of the things that I begged Pittsburgh to do actually got done. They knew that they couldn't get away with the same group of off-ball linebackers they had last year, and they wiped the slate clean. The Steelers also recognized that they can't be complacent with what they have on the offensive line -- even with young players on rookie contracts.

General manager, Omar Khan, somehow was able to manage and balance important free agent signings while being on the scouting trail. Of course, he wasn't without a great deal of assistance from assistant GM, Andy Weidl. In fact, signing two former Eagles offensive linemen and showing interest in LT Orlando Brown Jr. makes me think that his role so far has been bigger than anyone realized.

In comparison to last offseason, I am liking the collection of moves significantly better than what Kevin Colbert did during his final offseason as the Pittsburgh Steelers general manager. Still, I don't agree with every move.

Steelers grade after Week 1 of free agency: B-

I have to admit, I wasn't feeling very optimistic early on. After the Steelers lost Cameron Sutton to the Detroit Lions in a bidding war, they quickly turned around and signed Patrick Peterson. Though Peterson is coming off a 5-interception season, it's possible they overpaid a bit here for a player that Mike Tomlin has really liked for years.

Peterson will be 33 years old this summer, and it's a little scary having your top cornerback already at CB shelf-life age. Essentially, it's like Peterson is operating on borrowed time, and a great season from him can't (or at least shouldn't) be expected.

The move that I was most frustrated with in Week 1 of free agency was Pittsburgh's decision to bring back Larry Ogunjobi. Though I didn't have an issue with him returning, I was not happy with the money they had to dish out. The Steelers handed Ogunjobi a three-year, $28.75 million deal, per Over the Cap. His $9.58 million in annual earnings is an awful lot for a player who isn't coming off a great season. Ogunjobi needs to prove his worth on this lofty deal.

Outside of that, I think that Khan and Weidl have done a very solid job. Signing LB Cole Holcomb was an under-the-radar move that could prove to be sneaky-good if he can stay healthy. I would expect Holcomb to slide into Devin Bush's old role and be a much better version of that player. Adding Elandon Roberts seems like a Mike Tomlin move, but his downhill presence and physical demeanor will be a welcome addition.

My favorite pair of moves by Pittsburgh's front office this free agency period was adding two offensive linemen Nate Herbig and Isaac Seumalo. Both were former Philadelphia Eagles, the latter of whom graded out as the 10th-best guard last season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Not all of these moves will prove to be good contracts. However, I was not a fan of the Myles Jack signing last year, and I really only liked the James Daniels addition at the time. I'm more optimistic about what Omar Khan and Andy Weidl have done so far than this time last year under Kevin Colbert. I'm giving the Pittsburgh Steelers a 'B-' for their first week of free agency.