2015 Steelers Free Agency: An Early Guide to the Market

Even though the Pittsburgh Steelers were only eliminated from the NFL playoffs on Saturday, there is no time to sit back and ponder the loss. The only thing they can do is move forward and look to the 2015 season. A huge part of that and the improvements that must come will be with strategic and efficient use of NFL free agency.

It’s important to understand that as we delve deeper into the minutia of the Steelers' salary-cap situation over the course of the next couple of months, some of these potential free agents will drop off the list due to financial reasons. Pittsburgh is known for walking a fine line with its salary cap, so it often requires Harry Potter-levels of wizardry to get things squared away.

However, for this list we are removing the barriers of money and instead looking at who the top players are on the market the Steelers “could” target. 

The five positions I am going to look at here are outside linebacker, cornerback, safety, running back and tight end in order from need and potential impact. Each position will have a dream pick and a more realistic sort of prospect to offer some balance.

All information on free agents courtesy of Spotrac.com.

1. Outside Linebacker

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In order for any 3-4 defense to be successful, the outside linebackers must be able to generate a pass rush. Unfortunately, the Steelers struggled to get sacks in a traditional manner. Once you figure in the potential losses at outside linebacker, you can see that there will be a need for some additions beyond just the draft.

Justin Houston: The top pass-rushing outside linebacker set to hit the market is Houston. The fourth-year player has amassed 43 sacks in the past three seasons, with an amazing 22 sacks in 2014. Houston is poised to get a huge raise over his $1.6 million base salary in 2014. If the Steelers could find a way to fit Houston into their plans, this defense would be significant again in a hurry.

Brandon Graham: Graham is the “value” pick of this pairing. He has spent his first five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles but has always seemed a little out of place on that defense. Graham has 17 sacks in those five seasons, but he is young enough that you can see he has potential. Perhaps a switch to an aggressive 3-4 defense could be exactly what he needs to revive his career.

2. Cornerback

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There was no group that disappointed like the Steelers cornerbacks did in 2014. Cornerback Cortez Allen got a big contract and subsequently ended up on the back of the milk carton. With multiple cornerbacks entering free agency, Pittsburgh cannot hope to only fill those spots via the draft. It will take some free-agent work as well.

Darrelle Revis: Revis has turned himself into something of a hired gun for whichever team is willing to pay him. Why can’t that team be the Steelers? With the youngsters on the roster, Revis would be that veteran presence they could look up to and emulate. Not to mention Revis is still a great cornerback and would make every other defensive back’s job easier.

Buster Skrine: Skrine has been a full-time starter for the Cleveland Browns this season with a cap hit of only $1.48 million. Obviously, Skrine is going to get a nice raise, but with only one year as a starter, he might not be as cost-prohibitive as you might think. Skrine is only 25 and, with Justin Gilbert waiting in the wings, doesn’t want to play the nickel cornerback role in 2015. Skrine would immediately be the best cornerback on the roster if he signed with Pittsburgh.

3. Safety

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If safety Troy Polamalu chooses to retire this offseason, the Steelers will lose one the greatest players in franchise history. It will also allow Pittsburgh to move forward with more youth and athleticism in the defensive secondary. There are some young players on the team, but Pittsburgh really needs someone who can play that single-high deep free safety.

Devin McCourty: Of all the players in this article, McCourty might be the one I would throw the most money at as of now. He has shown over his career that he can be both a premier cornerback as well as free safety. This level of athleticism and flexibility would be invaluable to a struggling defensive unit.

Patrick Chung: Yes, this is the third member of the New England Patriots secondary on this list. However, process of elimination means that at least one of these guys won’t be back in New England in 2015. Chung has been a bit inconsistent this season but is still light-years ahead of any free safety currently on the roster in terms of coverage. And he could be a bargain compared to McCourty.

4. Running Back

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It is hard to think about a team that has running back Le’Veon Bell as needing a free-agent running back. However, this need became evident in the first round of the NFL playoffs when Bell was out with an injury and there was literally no one on the roster who could muster the testicular fortitude to run the football.

The Steelers could look to a rookie here, but a solid veteran who understands his role would make a ton of sense.

Mark Ingram: It took a few seasons for Ingram to get traction, but now that he has had a taste of success, you can see that his skill set translates just fine to the NFL game. Ingram is a long shot, primarily because coming to Pittsburgh would mean he would be back to more of a backup role. However, with his level of talent, it is hard to think the Steelers wouldn’t try and work him into the offense as much as possible. Some team, maybe not the New Orleans Saints, is going to pay Ingram a lot of money, but going to a winner might mean more to him.

Ahmad Bradshaw: The Indianapolis Colts have a gullet of running backs, none of which is cut out for a full-time starter role. That’s why I expect them to sign the youngest in Dan Herron and let Bradshaw walk. Bradshaw is a near-ideal back to trot out to give Bell some reps. He runs hard and can do all the little things like block and catch the football. He’s a real jack-of-all-trades and master of none. And with his well-traveled past, he could come as a real bargain.

5. Tight End

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I know it might seem like tight end Heath Miller is going to play forever, but the reality is that just isn’t possible. The rest of the tight ends on the roster are nice players, but none of them will scare an NFL defense. With Matt Spaeth and Michael Palmer as free agents, the time could not be better to add a new face to the depth chart.

Julius Thomas: Like I said, this list is a “could” not a “will” type of situation. I understand fully that for as talented as Thomas is, the Denver Broncos are going to throw a lot of money at him. But just imagine for a minute how a quarterback like Ben Roethlisberger could utilize a weapon like Thomas? Paired with all the young wide receivers on this team, even more records could fall.

Charles Clay: On a more realistic note, Clay may not be re-signed by the Miami Dolphins. He is a little undersized but is an excellent route-runner and receiver. The Steelers have plenty of tight ends who can block, but Clay would provide Pittsburgh with a weapon who can create mismatches with his athletic ability.