The 2016 season is unfortunately over, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are now embarking upon their latest offseason journey, heading back to the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, formerly known and still referred to as the ‘South Side’ facility of Heinz Field. While the postseason is now behind us, there is plenty left to discuss.
And there are plenty of questions left unanswered as well. The offseason is just really the beginning phase of the answer-seeking process, which is lasts all the way through the Super Bowl for teams fortunate enough to reach that far.
You can rest assured that we have the questions, and we will be monitoring the developments in the offseason as they develop, and beyond, looking for the answers as we look to evaluate the makeup of the Steelers as they try to navigate their way back to the Super Bowl, after reaching the AFC Championship game last season for the first time in more than half a decade.
Question: Is there time still for the Steelers to make the mid-level free agent signing so many in the fan base are looking for?
We are closing in on the conclusion of the second full week of free agency and the Steelers have only just now added to their haul of a whopping one-year minimum contract for a wide receiver with a similar deal for a running back and a two-year deal worth likely not much more for a cornerback. Today perhaps they add a deal slightly more substantial than that for some meat on the defensive line.
These are quality signings in terms of filling out important areas of vulnerability in terms of the depth chart in addition to taking some needs off of their draft board, but none of these players are going to be in the starting lineup—except for Knile Davis at kick returner presumably—and so will not be said so much to directly improve their on-field product on a week-to-week basis.
The Steelers came into this free agency period with a good chunk more money than they normally would have and seemingly tried their damnedest to spend it on a couple of cornerbacks, and then an inside linebacker, but they were unable to put ink to paper on any of those deals.
Nearing two weeks into free agency, however, there aren’t a ton of big or notable names still floating around on the free agency market, so if the team is going to make their $5 million a year signing, one would think it would have to come soon before the well is completely dry.
Who is even left on the market? Zach Brown seems to be one of the few left who might be targeted for a decent-sized contract that the Steelers would even conceivably entertain, and yet I’m personally at the point in which I feel it’s just time to move on from the inside linebacker position.
What other names are out there on the market that would command a decent contract that you want the Steelers to take a look at?
