A slow start to free agency is nothing new for the Steelers as they normally prefer to give the open market a waiting period. That method has started to falter in recent years as the organization has changed with the times in that aspect of player acquisition. The negotiating period started on Monday, and it has seen plenty of players find new contracts from teams across the NFL.
It was a slow start to the negotiating period for the black and gold as they seemed to be patient. It took hours until news started to roll in. They have added Patrick Peterson, Nate Herbig, and Damontae Kazee to name a few. There is still a lot of meat left on the bone for this club when it comes to all the free agents that they could potentially add to help this roster get better.
Steelers should still attack a couple positions before moving on from free agency
Despite some interesting additions to the roster, the Steelers should not consider themselves done with free agency. There are still plenty of needs on this roster, and the draft should not give them any sort of comfort moving forward. Adding to a couple of positions either in depth or starting caliber roles must be on the schedule for this team to address between now and the end of the free agency process.
Finding a veteran receiver, preferably a slot guy would be an ideal situation to bring in and add experience to the position. Middle linebacker is another need that needs a starting caliber player to be brought in. Defensive line is another factor that has to be addressed at some point this offseason with both depth and starters being brought into question.
Leighton Vander Esch could be a top name to watch for at linebacker
Middle linebacker might be one of the biggest question marks in the past couple of years for Pittsburgh. For one reason or another, this club has not been able to find solutions to its problems when it comes to the position. The good news is that free agency has been a buyers’ market when it comes to the current deals being signed by free agents to this point in the process. The bad news is that the Steelers have not shown a ton of interest as of now.
That interest could be shrouded in secrecy currently as they try and work their magic and pull off some interesting deals. They pulled that off with Patrick Peterson, and nobody had him on the black and gold's radar before it was announced. Adding a player that could either start or provide a depth role with prior starting experience needs to be the top priority during free agency.
Pittsburgh should consider signing Leighton Vander Esch sometime soon. We know that the team showed a lot of interest in him during his draft year, but he was selected well before the Steelers could take him. Vander Esch has had an up and down career as he dealt with injuries early on. His past two seasons have shown why he was a first round pick and how effective he can be as a starting linebacker in the NFL.
Poona Ford could be an interesting option for the defensive line
Perhaps the direst need for this team right now is none other than the defensive line. Not only is a giant hole to fill at defensive end, but also the depth behind the starting spot. DeMarvin Leal is there, but he still needs more time to iron out some of the deficiencies in his game. Larry Ogujobi is still out there, but it seems more likely that there will be a divorce rather than a vow renewal.
Poona Ford could be an interesting option on the market as the club looks for a player to stop the run first and foremost. Ford has been solid in that role during his time with the Seattle Seahawks and he could also play in the nose tackle role as well. That would be beneficial to iron out those two spots on the defensive line and take some pressure off the draft. Heading into the draft with neither of those two roles situated could lead to bad consequences.
As time rolls on, the pool becomes a buyers' market even more as players start to search for jobs more feverishly. Ford could become an interesting option the more that he sits there and waits for a new deal to populate with a club. Another interesting name to watch could be his former teammate, Quinton Jefferson after he was released within the past day. Either of them could provide different roles to the Steelers and help make the defensive line more stable.
Steelers could still pursue Rock Ya-Sin during free agency even with Patrick Peterson in the fold
Many were disappointed when the news broke that Cam Sutton would be signing with the Detroit Lions once free agency officially opened. Most thought the Steelers were foolish to let Sutton leave the organization this offseason, and the jury is still out on that sentiment. Luckily, Pittsburgh had a plan and went out and signed Patrick Peterson to a two-year deal before the first day of the negotiation process was complete.
One name mentioned during that time between Sutton leaving and the Peterson deal was Rock Ya-Sin. Pittsburgh showed a lot of interest in him during the draft process back in 2019. He has played in different aspects of the secondary during his professional career. Ya-Sin has seen some bumps in his professional path when it comes to his performance since leaving Temple to turn pro.
One could imagine that the club should be done adding at cornerback, but that might not be the wisest idea. Peterson was a good fallback option with Sutton leaving but adding to the slot corner role might be another thing to accomplish. Ya-Sin would be able to add to that and keep the pressure off cornerback in the upcoming draft so the gas pedal is not to the floor as the offseason plays out.
Pittsburgh should have Terrell Edmunds as the top target to re-sign
One of the top pending free agents has always been Terrell Edmunds. Many got lost in the fantasy of potentially adding his brother, Tremaine Edmunds during the free agency process. They forgot about Terrell during that period, and he means a lot more to the Steelers defense than many would like to admit. He has been one of the most consistent starters over the past couple of seasons for Pittsburgh.
Re-signing Damontae Kazee is a good thing, but it could become less if Edmunds ships out of town. Safety could skyrocket up the to-do list if the Steelers are unable to lock this safety up for the long-term. There are not too many other options available on the open market to consider replacing Edmunds if he decides to sign elsewhere.
Without a ton of options on the current market, not signing Edmunds could be disastrous. Not too many can replace what he does and that could affect the play of Minkah Fitzpatrick moving forward. The Steelers need to figure out their plan for the position moving forward, no matter if that means with Edmunds in the lineup or not. Drafting his replacement does not seem like something the club would likely be interested in, but it has happened before.