Bad news struck the city of Pittsburgh as Terrell Edmunds announced on social media that he will be leaving the team. At the time of writing this article, his new place of employment in the NFL had not been announced. Most assumed that Edmunds would re-sign with the Steelers after coming back last offseason on a cheap one-year contract.
He will be turning away from the black and gold colors in favor of a new place to call home via free agency. He has been the starting strong safety for the defense since being selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Trying to find a replacement for Edmunds is going to be a big chore, but it is not the end of the world for this defense with how they are currently constructed.
Terrell Edmunds is set to officially leave the Steelers via free agency
Trying to find someone to step in and take over the strong safety duties on defense will not be an easy task, but it is a possible one to accomplish. Edmunds did a lot for this defense, showing how both Minkah Fitzpatrick and he were complimentary pieces. Things will be different this season and the black and gold continue to retool their secondary.
Not many players have faced as much scrutiny as Edmunds has since he was seemingly over-drafted in 2018. Most had him as a second to third-round pick, but the Steelers felt that he had a higher upside than many imagined. He would not quite live up to that first-round selection, but he was a solid starter for this defense over the past two or three seasons overall. Maybe that was the Fitzpatrick effect, but Edmunds was solid in his efforts.
Looking into some potential draft fits could be the ultimate plan
This article is more geared towards addressing this safety need through free agency, but the draft could be a realistic avenue. There are plenty of prospects that could be up for grabs on day two that could interest the black and gold. Ideally, finding a starter to fill the strong safety roll on this defense would be the best way to attack this situation, especially with so many other needs that must be taken care of through the draft.
Keep a close eye on a couple of teammates at Alabama as the draft gets closer. Jordan Battle is a name that could be had in the third to fourth round of the draft. He will need to work on his run support and tackling ability at the next level though. Brian Branch is another Alabama product that will get some connections to the Steelers with their current free agency concern.
Branch can play in multiple roles within the secondary at the NFL level and would slide into the strong spot for Pittsburgh. Ji'Ayir Brown is another name to watch as he comes out of Penn State. He has been great up closer to the line and attacking the run. His speed could be an issue at the NFL level as it is not the strongest part of his game.
Adding one of the highest graded safeties could be worth the gamble for Steelers
Some players have been flying under the radar during the free agency process to date. There are many talented players out there and one of them is Ryan Neal. He enjoyed his first season as the big contributor for the Seattle Seahawks in their strong safety role on defense. Jamal Adams is their star at that position normally, but he was hurt for most of the 2022 season.
That injury allowed Neal an opportunity to make some plays and shoot his name into some high praise. Before this past season, this safety played a depth role for the Seahawks as he earned his stripes. He originally signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent out of Southern Illinois before jumping to the Atlanta Falcons and finally settling in with Seattle in 2019.
Neal has been a constant contributor in a depth spot since then, but 2022 allowed him to take flight. He started ten games this past year and tallied an impressive stat sheet that included eight pass deflections, an interception, two forced fumbles, and a sack. He graded out extremely well according to pro football focus with an eye-popping grade of 85.6 for this past campaign. This safety had limited time as a starter, but he thrived in that role and could be worth the gamble.
Adding a AFC North veteran trying to re-prove himself could be an option in free agency
Earlier in the offseason, the Cleveland Browns got to work and were forced to make a couple of hard decisions. They had to let John Johnson III go after he sat in their starting role for a handful of seasons. His cap number was too high, and the Browns felt that he was not in their future vision of the football team.
Perhaps the Steelers could have interest in the former AFC North rival safety as he currently sits on the couch waiting for a call. Johnson is not going to wow many with his overall play, but he did not grade out much worse than Edmunds did this past season. Both have similar trajectories in recent years, and he could be a reliable replacement. Add in the fact that he is only 27, and it makes a lot of sense for the black and gold to add him.
Johnson is a former third-round pick of the LA Rams back in 2017 and has shown some high pro football focus grades before. He has not had a great season during his time in Cleveland, but the Steelers could potentially get him on a prove-it contract for this year. He would be a reliable option to plug into the starting lineup and could take away the immediate urgency being felt. This is a player that the organization is familiar with and someone that could be an asset if the club signs him.
Signing a young proven free agent might be the safest option for the Steelers
Many different outlets that cover the Steelers have one name highlighted in free agency to replace Edmunds. The main target being thrown out there is Taylor Rapp from the LA Rams. He is still extremely young at only 25 years old, plus he has shown good production throughout his career. That combination of youth and starting experience is something that should catch the attention of Pittsburgh and any other club seeking a starting safety in free agency.
Another big part of Rapp's game is his ability to play in the box a lot, which Pittsburgh demands from their strong safeties. This player actually graded out much higher than Edmunds did for this past season, so some could consider this an upgrade. He has played on many talented defenses during his time in the NFL, but he seemed to improve every year that he has been in the NFL.
The Rams used a second-round pick on Rapp back in 2019, and he seems like he is starting to figure everything out. He has started in different spots across the secondary during his time in LA, which would only be beneficial to the Steelers. He has always been a highly productive player during his time in the NFL and should continue that trend if the Steelers find a way to sign him.