Steelers' Top Players to Avoid in 2024 NFL Free Agency
The Pittsburgh Steelers haven't won a playoff game since the 2016 season, and while last year's team was good enough to make the postseason, the roster needs improvement.
Most notably, the Steelers could use help on the offensive side of the ball, where the 2023 squad ranked 25th overall and 28th in scoring. The arrival of new coordinator Arthur Smith is a fine start, but a few tweaks to the roster can be expected.
However, Pittsburgh might not be a major player in free agency, as it faces a projected $14.7 million cap deficit. General manager Omar Khan will need to both create space and be cautious with free agent contracts.
With this in mind, let's examine three impending 2024 free agents who should be avoided by the Steelers.
IOL Connor Williams
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The Steelers need to upgrade an offensive line that was average at best for much of the 2023 season. The unit did improve once rookie Broderick Jones took over at right tackle, but too often, the line failed to get a strong push up front.
Pittsburgh ranked just 19th in yards per carry on the season.
The Steelers may look for an upgrade at center, where the team has lacked a high-level starter since Maurkice Pouncey's retirement in 2021. Mason Cole is good enough, but not great, and Pittsburgh lacks interior depth.
Miami Dolphins lineman Connor Williams has played both center and guard, and he's done it at a high level when healthy. The problem is that he's suffered two torn ACLs as a pro, his latest coming in December.
There's simply no guarantee that Williams will be at or near 100 percent when the 2024 season kicks off. There's even less of a guarantee that he'll return to pre-injury form. with a projected market value of $13.5 million annually, the Steelers are unlikely to land him at a bargain price.
Given the cap situation, signing Williams is a risk-reward move that the Steelers simply can't afford to make.
OT Jonah Williams
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The Steelers could also use an upgrade over Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle, where Moore was responsible for three penalties and eight sacks allowed in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus.
Pittsburgh has two options here. It can either look for an outright replacement at left tackle or consider moving Jones over from the right side and add a new right tackle to the mix.
With that in mind, Cincinnati Bengals tackle Jonah Williams might seem like a sensible free-agent target at first blush. The 2019 first-round pick began his career at left tackle before moving to the right side in 2023.
Signing Williams would give Pittsburgh some flexibility in its approach to the tackle rotation. However, it would also come at a cost. Because of his draft status, Williams is likely to see at least a mid-level contract and has a projected market value of $10.8 million annually.
That's not outlandish for a tackle in the modern NFL, but it's more than the Steelers should be willing to pay. Williams hasn't been a dependable starter at either tackle spot, and he would not be a clear upgrade over Moore.
Though Williams was more effective as a run blocker on the right side than he was in previous years, he was still responsible for five penalties and eight sacks allowed, per PFF.
QB Sam Darnold
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The Steelers need to bring in competition for Kenny Pickett, who simply hasn't progressed much in his two seasons. Pittsburgh should either be looking to push Pickett while still giving him a chance to be "the guy," or trying to replace him with a better long-term answer.
Taking a flier on a former first-rounder like San Francisco 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold might seem like a logical way to approach both goals. Darnold has flashed potential at times, and he'll turn just 27 in June.
However, Pittsburgh just took a similar approach with Mitch Trubisky, and the results weren't great. Trubisky flopped as a starter before being replaced by Pickett in 2022, but he was just good enough to keep Mason Rudolph on the bench for two games (both losses) following Pickett's 2023 ankle injury. There's no reason to repeat that path.
If the Steelers are hoping to replace Pickett, they should look to the 2024 draft. If they're looking to push him, a veteran who isn't a threat to replace him long-term would be logical.
Enter Ryan Tannehill, who played under Smith with the Tennessee Titans. He could help implement Smith's offense, provide depth and mentor Pickett without throwing a wrench into the Steeler's long-term quarterback plans.
According to Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Media, "the expectation' is that Pittsburgh will explore adding Tannehill.
*Cap, contract and market information via Spotrac.
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