5 Potential Cornerback Targets in Free Agency for Pittsburgh Steelers

It really stands to reason that the Pittsburgh Steelers need to give some tender loving care to its defensive secondary. Of the cornerbacks on the 2014 roster, three of them are free agents. Veteran Ike Taylor could end up retiring, and both Brice McCain and Antwon Blake had up and down seasons. It is very difficult to be definitive that either will return.

Assuming they do not, that leaves cornerbacks Cortez Allen and William Gay as the only returning players with any viable playing experience. The Steelers could and should delve into the cornerback class in the 2015 NFL Draft, but without a true No. 1 cornerback on the roster, that won’t be enough.

Here are five free-agent cornerbacks that could come in right away and make this team better. Are any of them the next Richard Sherman? Probably not. However, at this point, putting out a little money to get a player out of this group would go a long way toward improving the Steelers' overall defense.

The Safe Pick

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Perrish Cox, San Francisco 49ers

Here we find the first of two cornerbacks from the San Francisco 49ers who are free agents, but the only one included in the list. Perrish Cox is an underrated player with nice size (5’11”, 189 lbs) and solid coverage skills. According to Pro Football Focus, Cox was the No. 35 cornerback in 2014 with 965 total snaps.

Cox could come in and start from the first snap opposite either Gay or Allen. Cox only drew three penalties in 2014 in 14 starts, which gives him another huge plus to make this team.

Perhaps the biggest thing that would help the Steelers in signing Cox is that he is only the second-best free-agent cornerback on his own team. With fellow cornerback Chris Culliver also on the market, Cox could be a bargain by comparison.

The Wily Veteran

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Antoine Cason, Baltimore Ravens

Sometimes you can snatch up a nice player just because they are well-traveled and in a state of flux with their career. The Baltimore Ravens signed Antoine Cason after he spent nearly the entire season with the Carolina Panthers.

Cason was released by the Panthers because rookie cornerback Bene Benwikere was just playing too well to keep off the field. Cason was cut loose after a solid year, and he was quickly snatched up. I had hoped the Steelers would make a claim on Cason, but he ended up with the Ravens instead.

However, there’s no guarantee the Ravens are prepared to commit to Cason with a new contract. That means, for a team like the Steelers, Cason could be a value signing and a veteran presence to replace Taylor on the roster. His value for potential production would be quite manageable.

The Rolls Royce

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Kareem Jackson, Houston Texans

Houston Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson is a former first-round pick who has never quite played up to his lofty draft spot. That’s no dig on him, as he is an improving player, and at 27 years old, he finally seems to be hitting his stride.

The rub with Jackson could be the cost. As with most cornerbacks, the market is inflated, and so a player like Jackson could demand a contract significantly larger than what the Steelers would want to manipulate in the salary cap to pay. Keep in mind, Jackson ended up as the No. 11 cornerback in the league in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus.

If the Steelers could get Jackson, he brings 71 career starts and 10 career interceptions. Another plus for Jackson is that he’s a fearless run-stuffer and a solid tackler. Too many times in 2014 it was missed tackles that turned short runs/catches into long plays.

The Top Secret Star

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Byron Maxwell, Seattle Seahawks

If Pittsburgh really wanted to make a splash in free agency, signing Seattle Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell would be the way to do it. Maxwell is a true top-tier cornerback, and he would be discussed in those terms much more if he didn’t line up opposite Richard Sherman.

Over the course of the last two seasons (17 starts), Maxwell has six interceptions. Also, according to Pro Football Focus, Maxwell has only given up three touchdown passes during that same time. This feat is made even more impressive when you consider how few targets Sherman sees opposite him.

Can the Steelers fit a contract in to Maxwell? It’s a long shot for sure, but with the salary cap, anything is possible. Maxwell is the kind of impact player that I’d much rather see the Steelers break the bank for, as opposed to just spreading the cap out over a bunch of mediocre free-agent targets. He's still likely considerably cheaper than Jackson.

The Bargain

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Walter Thurmond, New York Giants

It might have seemed like Maxwell would have been the easy choice for the top target on this list. However, there’s one guy who trumps Maxwell for one strategic reason. Value. New York Giants cornerback Walter Thurmond is set to hit the free-agent market coming off of a season-ending injury, and he could be had at a deep discount.

If you recall, Thurmond was in great demand at the end of the 2013 season as a former nickel cornerback for the Legion of Boom in Seattle. The Giants signed Thurmond because he has the talent to be a starter in this league, and assuming he’s healthy, he still can be.

I lobbied hard for Thurmond last offseason, and instead, the Steelers got Blake and McCain. Now that a year has passed, Pittsburgh has a chance to right that wrong. Thurmond is the best mix of talent and value on this list, and he would make a great Steeler.