The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a fantastic free agent signing period so far. We have never seen this franchise come out so aggressively in their entire history. The major needs at quarterback, offensive line, and inside linebacker have all been filled. The Steelers secondary is still in need of some major upgrades however. Here’s a look at where Pittsburgh stands with this group at the moment:
Safety:
One of few major needs this team has yet to address in free agency is strong safety. The only player the team has at that position currently is special teams ace Myles Killebrew. At this point it looks less and less likely the team will bring back Terrell Edmunds. After not electing to exercise his fifth year option, Edmunds seems destined to sign elsewhere. There are still plenty of cheap options left in free agency. We made our suggestion in this post: Five under the radar free agent targets for the Steelers
This is also a position which could be a prime candidate for the Steelers first round pick. They should have their pick of any safety not named Kyle Hamilton at pick 20. Georgia’s Lewis Cine, and Penn St.’s Jaquan Brisker are a few names to keep an eye on.
Corner:
This is the position that has us particularly concerned. Right now the Steelers corner back room is less then desirable to put it kindly. The projected starters as we stand today are Cam Sutton, and Levi Wallace. Neither of these players has what could be even considered average speed for the position. Having to cover the likes of Ja’Marr Chase twice a season with either of those two is a frightening thought. The hope is Kevin Colbert has one more surprise for us in free agency to bolster the Steelers secondary. Whether it’s bringing back Akhello Witherspoon, or signing another outside free agent something more needs to be done.
Of course the Steelers could use the draft to fill this position as well. While the top three corners are likely to be off the board by the time they select, the draft is deep at corner. Players like Roger McCreary, Trent McDuffie, and Tyriq Woolen are all players Pittsburgh would have interest in.
Conclusion:
Kevin Colbert has saved his best free agent signing period for last. The job he has done so far has been outstanding. Colbert still has work to do in this secondary however. While the salary cap space may be dwindling, we expect one more free agent to be added to this secondary. Odds are the team adds a veteran safety due to the fact that safety generally comes much cheaper in free agency. Hopefully the team then adds an athletic corner to the mix with their first round pick to complete the defense. They have the makings of a potentially elite unit on defense, but, but without a few more tweaks to this secondary.