Are the Steelers up to Something After Creating More Cap Space?
What an off-season for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
From the moment we saw Ben Roethlisberger and Maurkice Pouncey sitting on the sideline following an early playoff exit, those inside and out of Pittsburgh expected a wild off-season that would foresee many staples of the 2020 Steelers team find new homes elsewhere.
There were those that were expected to go, coming in the likes of Randy Fichtner, Bud Dupree and more. On the other side of the coin, players such as Robert Spillane and Cam Sutton were welcomed back in Pittsburgh with open arms.
The Steelers flirted with the possibility of playing football without JuJu Smith-Schuster, before Smith-Schuster eventually found his way back in Pittsburgh on a one-year deal.
Also, what kind of offseason would it be without vague tweets?
In an off-season that started with the Steelers not even sure they'd be getting their franchise quarterback to play another year, it's undoubtedly been nothing short of a wild ride up to this point.
It appears that wild ride may not be over quite yet.
After releasing Steven Nelson and re-structuring Eric Ebron's current deal, the Steelers are estimated to be somewhere north of $12 million dollars in cap space. Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert has a track record of making moves in order for the team to acquire another asset, and with a few holes still on the Steelers' roster, that certainly may be the case this year.
So... what are some possible moves for the Steelers to make?
The Steelers may still be in the market for a left tackle, and although there are whispers of Alejandro Villanueva potentially returning to Pittsburgh, players such as Russell Okung may also be a possibility. Of course, this is all dependent on how the Steelers view Chukwuma Okorafor as a left tackle, with Zach Banner expected to anchor the right side of the line.
Could it be for another defensive back? Potentially. Yet it wouldn't make much sense for the Steelers to cut a player such as Nelson and sign a cornerback of similar skill to a similar contract. With Mike Hilton's departure, the Steelers are certainly in need of a slot-corner (assuming Sutton plays on the boundary), an easy find in free agency should the team not opt to wait for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Are we able to rule out a running back? Perhaps, as the Steelers much prefer to add youth to their running back stable through the draft, although once upon a time, DeAngelo Williams was a great free agent pick-up. With two backs taken in the last two drafts and James Conner now off the roster, it wouldn't be a terrible idea for the Steelers to add a veteran three-down back to the depth chart. However, with a slew of talented backs ready to be drafted in the early parts of the 2021 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh is favored to land a ball-carrier in that fashion.
Center may be another possibility, despite the Steelers having the talents of either B.J. Finney or J.C. Hassenauer to choose from. Admittedly so, the aforementioned two players didn't shine themselves in a strong light last year, as the center position should definitely welcome an upgrade. However, with a small market of viable centers out there in free agency, it appears the Steelers may look towards day two of the 2021 NFL Draft to upgrade the position, if they choose to do so at all.
Although an unlikely addition, the loss of Tyson Alualu created another hole for the Steelers to fill at nose tackle. Alualu was a vastly underrated player despite playing minimal snaps compared to the rest of the front seven. While the Steelers may opt for another outside defensive tackle, it appears they are likely to roll with either Isaiah Buggs or Carlos Davis to fill that position.
Could we all be speculating for nothing? Perhaps. Spotrac has Pittsburgh's 2021 NFL Draft class raking in a total of $7.8 million dollars worth of contracts. With the Steelers historically favoring to carry $4/5 million into the regular season for emergency signings/deals, the two tolls added above closely marks where Pittsburgh currently stands.
However, if we've learned anything from following the Steelers outside of the regular season, it's to expect the unexpected. With the 2021 NFL Draft nearly a month away, only time will tell if the Steelers do indeed have a master plan.
For now, we'll continue to hold onto our tin-foil hats.
Donnie Druin is a Staff Writer with AllSteelers. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
