4 Free agents the Steelers should explore signing before training camp
The Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for the upcoming season with high hopes and strategic planning. Recent performances have highlighted both strengths and areas needing reinforcement. Securing experienced veterans could be pivotal to solidifying their chances for a successful season.
These seasoned players bring not just skill but invaluable leadership to the roster. This column delves into five veteran free agents the Steelers should consider signing before training camp begins.
Justin Simmons
Simmons is arguably the most appealing free agent among all players still available on the market too, placing him on the wishlist of just about every team’s fan base. Simmons is also one of the top safeties in the NFL and still available as of press time because he’s likely seeking a large contract of at least $15 million per season.
For a player turning 31 in November, that could be too big of a number for any team, keeping the likelihood of a Simmons and Steelers pairing off the books, at least for now. Once training camp rolls around, I wonder if the team will evaluate current safeties DeShon Elliott (27 years of age) and Damontae Kazee (31 years of age) as allowing them to return Minkah Fitzpatrick to “doing what he does best”.
What Fitzpatrick does best is roam the field and make plays: which is similar to Simmons, who is fresh off of a third-straight AP second-team All-Pro season after knocking down eight passes and picking off three others.
While Simmons also plays free safety – the same position as Fitzpatrick – neither would be considered locked into those roles and would play off of one another. That would allow for a third safety, or another similarly statured cornerback (such as Cameron Sutton) to allow defensive coordinator Teryl Austin to get really creative in his play calling. The backfield would be a veritable dream team for the Steelers, if they could make it work.
It would instantly add depth at a position that was a revolving door for the Steelers last season. The team cycled through multiple starting safeties, such as Trenton Thompson and Elijah Riley, plus Patrick Peterson. (Who had never played safety before.) It’s also worth noting those three, along with last year’s starting strong safety, Keanu Neal, are no longer with the team. Kazee also missed several games over the last two seasons due to injuries and suspensions, making this position group one that the team should still explore adding experienced players to.
Michael Thomas
Thomas is the epitome of an unreliable player at the end of his career, but also represents the best of what’s left from a picked-clean carcass of free agent wide receivers.
Any other names the Steelers could add at this point would amount to their previous free agent spending on journeymen receivers such as Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, and Scotty Miller. If they want to add a proven commodity to the mix, the 31-year-old Thomas couldn’t be any worse than adding Allen Robinson via trade last season.
Thomas’ stock is at an all-time low due to missing swaths of games over the last four seasons after setting benchmarks in his previous four. Signing him to a minimal contract and expecting his playing time to reflect the same might extend his value to the Steelers offense. He would be the only receiver with multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons on the depth chart and his 36 career touchdowns are more than George Pickens, Calvin Austin, Jefferson, Watkins, and Miller combined. (32!)
I would kick the tires on the 6-3 veteran if only to use as a redzone target, seeing as Pickens is the only other player who is at least 6-3 on the current roster.
Patrick Peterson
Yes, the Steelers parted ways with Peterson this offseason but I have a gut feeling that the salary cap move could be more about business (Peterson had an $8 million cap hit) than performance.
Granted, we shouldn’t expect Peterson to return and play as the CB1 or even the CB2 in the Steelers current format. However, he could be a quality backup, special teams player (see this highlight where he blocked a PAT last year) and fill a role as a “big slot”.
There’s still no guarantees that veterans Cameron Sutton or Anthony Averett will work out by the end of camp, making an exploratory signing of Peterson smart if the two can agree on terms. Peterson could also dabble at playing safety, a change which could help the Steelers (as mentioned above) and also extend the future Hall of Famer’s career.
Tyus Bowser
The 29year-old former Baltimore Ravens linebacker would fill a need that most analysts aren’t recognizing as a gap on the Steelers depth chart.
T.J. Watt returned to play a full season in 2023 following an injury-riddled 2022 campaign. However, when TJ Watt went down during the Steelers playoff run against the Buffalo Bills, it was downhill from there. That left Alex Highsmith, Markus Golden, and Nick Herbig to fill in for Watt. Golden was not re-signed and the Steelers did not add another high profile outside linebacker to the mix via free agency or the NFL Draft this offseason.
That leaves much to be desired should Watt or Highsmith miss time, which is almost inevitable during a 17-game season.
Enter Bowser, who should be familiar to the Steelers staff as the opposition for six seasons. Bowser has 19.5 sacks and 49 QB hits over 89 games. He missed time with Baltimore last season, seeing his numbers dip and he was not brought back.
The team should look into signing Bowser to help alleviate some of the workload for their other edge rushers during camp and also throughout the season. He has 2,443 defensive snaps throughout his career and another 1,025 on special teams, which could use a boost with the new league kickoff rules.
Takeaways
Signing these veteran free agents can address critical areas of need and reinforce the lineup with experienced, proven talent. Adding one or more of them would provide the Steelers with depth, stability, and leadership in crucial positions. Fans should stay tuned for updates as the team navigates the final stages of their offseason moves, hoping to build a roster capable of making a deep playoff run in the upcoming season.
