The NFL league year is set to begin with free agency. The Steelers flamed out last season and will need to tweak their roster to get on the right track. They have multiple holes to fill through free agency and the draft. Steelers General Manager Omar Khan and associates should look into these guys in free agency.
Aside from George Pickens, Pittsburgh’s wide receivers are an unproven group. Calvin Austin showed flashes with Russell Wilson but they need more firepower from the position. Amari Cooper is hitting free agency, and the 31-year-old should be on the Steelers’ radar. Heading into his 11th season in the NFL, Cooper’s price tag will be in Pittsburgh’s price range.
Cooper spent three years in Cleveland before getting traded to Buffalo last season. Between injury and playing for the Browns, he didn’t have his best season. He caught 44 passes for 547 yards and four touchdowns for one of the worst seasons of his career. The five-time Pro Bowler would be a good influence to have around Pickens. Cooper still has gas left in the tank, somebody has to get it to burn.
Joey Porter Jr has been good in his short time in Pittsburgh, but he needs help in the cornerback room. Donte Jackson is set to be a free agent, and if he doesn’t come back, the Steelers will need to sign a cornerback. DJ Reed is 28 years old and a seven-year veteran who could be a fit in Pittsburgh.
Reed has spent the last three seasons with the Jets and spent time in Seattle and San Francisco before that. He’s played 101 games in the NFL, intercepting six passes and making 326 solo tackles. The physical corner has forced and recovered four fumbles and made 12 tackles for loss. Reed would upgrade the Steelers’ secondary.
It couldn’t hurt the Steelers to double-dip on cornerbacks, making Asante Samuel Jr another option for Pittsburgh’s secondary. He’s spent all four NFL seasons in Los Angeles with the Chargers but will now hit free agency. Samuel Jr is 25 and has six interceptions in 50 career games. The Steelers defense needs a ballhawk.
If Pittsburgh can’t get their hands on Cooper, Darius Slayton would be a great fit next to Pickens. Slayton has spent six years getting abused by poor quarterback play with the New York Giants. He’s never eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in a season, but he’s a good pass catcher that’s been in a bad situation.
In 92 career games, Slayton has caught 259 passes for 3,897 yards and 21 touchdowns. He had 39 receptions for 573 yards and two touchdowns. Despite playing with Daniel Jones for most of his career, Slayton is fifth among active players in yards per reception at 15. A Change of scenery will do wonders for him.
The Steelers have been stuck in quarterback purgatory since Ben Roethlisberger retired and that won’t change anytime soon. Justin Fields just turned 26 and showed potential in his six starts for Pittsburgh last season. He led the Steelers to a 4-2 record and completed passes at a career-high rate of 65%. He’s not an elite quarterback at this point in his career but Pittsburgh is his best option and he is their best option.
Under center for Pittsburgh last season, Fields threw for 1,106 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for 289 yards and five more touchdowns in his six starts. The Jets are expected to be heavily interested, but Pittsburgh is the place to be if Fields doesn’t want to learn a fourth playbook in four years.
The Steelers can’t be fixed with one offseason but signing one or two of these players would be a step in the right direction. The 2025 NFL Draft is where the Steelers will have a chance to make a change for the better, but free agency is a good place to patch holes. Pittsburgh needs change to get out of the rut it has been in recently.
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