The NFL is roughly a couple of weeks into their new league year. It kicked off with a flurry of news as the free agency frenzy kicks off everything. Tons of players have been able to find new homes as they sought new deals. The Steelers were one of the more active clubs during this offseason process and signed a good number of players to join their club.
They were able to upgrade the interior of the offensive line, both at a starting spot and depth pieces as well. The entire middle linebacker group was revamped with some more hope toward success this time around. Pittsburgh was able to accomplish a lot, but they did surprise some with some of the moves they refused to make.
Plenty of cap space to make addition signings in free agency
Over the cap is one of the most trusted sites when it comes to contract and cap numbers for players in the NFL. They currently have the Steelers sitting at a hair under 11 million to spend on free agents and the upcoming draft class. That cap space does not have to be spent, but it is a possibility if they choose to use it.
It is crazy to imagine that this organization could have been even more active in free agency, and they could still have some moves on the way. Free agency is starting to dwindle, and names continue to come off the market, but the draft is starting to get closer. There are ways to open more cap space if this club feels the need to fill a couple of softer spots on the roster before the draft rolls around.
Removing a special team's player should have been done by now
Trying to find an impactful player to return both kicks and punts in today’s NFL is a hard task to figure out. Gunner Olszewski was signed last offseason to a two-year contract that allowed him to hopefully carry his special team’s ability over from New England. He had a solid training camp and pre-season overall, but things began to spiral for him once the regular season started.
Olszewski would be benched just weeks into the regular season campaign for Steven Simms. Another issue was Olszewski was not able to carry much of his pre-season success as a receiver over to the games that count. His game struggled and that caused him to sit on the bench for most of the 2022 season. His current cap situation for the upcoming year does not allow for many logical explanations as to why he is currently on the roster.
Simms is currently a free agent and someone that the black and gold should prioritize bringing back. Olszewski should not provide any comfort to special teams or as a receiver to this team. According to over the cap's website, cutting him post June first would provide an additional two million dollars in cap savings. Simms should get that money as he provides more as a returner and as a receiver as well.
There are both positives and negatives for keeping extra depth at cornerback
Cam Sutton is gone, but Patrick Peterson was signed to add a veteran to the room. Peterson should be able to play at a consistent level as one of the starting outside cornerbacks for this defense in 2023. Levi Wallace seems like he could be penciled in as the starter on the opposite side of Peterson, but many believe the Steelers will add to that spot through the draft.
Ahkello Witherspoon has lost his way on this roster, and he carries a high cap hit for someone that will likely be a depth piece. Depending on how the draft goes, he could become a player that could be released or traded come training camp. The Steelers seem to like him, but he struggled in his starting role last year before he suffered an injury.
Having someone with the amount of starting experience behind the starters is not the worst-case scenario but having him at that price is hard to swallow. Over the cap shows that Pittsburgh could release Witherspoon and save four million in cap space if it is designated for June first. It makes sense to keep him around just in case you cannot get a starting caliber corner in the draft, but that is a hefty price to rectify keeping him around.
Nose tackle needs to find another starter and the Steelers have to find one
Another year means another time around the sun where the black and gold need to find answers across the trenches. They have been active at fixing this long-lasting headache for this club over the past handful of years. Bringing back Larry Ogunjobi takes away an immediate need at one part of the defensive line, but there are a couple of other roles that still need to be situated.
Montravius Adams has filled the nose tackle position over the past couple of seasons to varying degrees of success. He started off his career with the Steelers well, but last year was a setback. Tyson Alualu is gone, so all the responsibilities of that role currently fall onto him. Finding someone to join the group through the draft might be the best course of action.
Nose tackle is not the direst of needs of this group, but they need to find a young player to fill out that spot and be a rotational depth piece. Adams only plays the nose tackle role and could allow for two and a half million in cap savings upon a June first release. That is a decent chunk of change to save, which could provide an upgrade along the defensive line with the amount of spending cash the Steelers could free up with some other moves.
Depth on the offensive line has been addressed in free agency and these players are expendable
Perhaps the biggest story of the offseason has been the aggressiveness shown by Pittsburgh when it comes to their desire to improve the offensive line. Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig were two big additions in free agency to fill the starting spot at left guard and an important depth piece for the interior of the offensive line. Those upgrades have only provided for the former starter to slide into a better-depth role for the time being.
It would make a lot of sense to keep Kevin Dotson on this team for 2023. He has a lot of starting experience and does not have the highest cap hit this year. He would be a solid piece to have battle with Herbig for the primary backup duties at both guard spots come training camp. It sounds like the coaching staff has not seen what they wished from Dotson since he was drafted, and he could see the boot.
Kendrick Green has not worked out since being drafted in the third round just a couple of years ago. He did not play last season and he should not make the team over Dotson or anyone else unless he miraculously makes a major jump this year. Green will likely make it to camp, but he has been so bad that he could save the Steelers a little under a million bucks if they cut him for June first. Cutting or trading both him and Dotson would free up roughly three and a half million in cap space.