Pittsburgh Steelers' Bargain Guide to the 2015 Offseason

Of all the things you can be sure of, the Pittsburgh Steelers riding the edge of the NFL salary cap is a mortal lock. The Steelers are never ones to spend big in free agency, instead keeping their money on the current roster as much as they can. This means when you don’t have much to spend, you have to be bargain shoppers when it comes to finding replacement players.

For this scenario, I am looking at these five Pittsburgh free agents and the positions they play.

• Jason Worilds, linebacker 
• Ike Taylor, cornerback
• Will Allen, safety
• Matt Spaeth, tight end
• Darrius Heyward-Bey, wide receiver

If the Steelers opt to let any or all of these players leave via free agency, here are some options for their replacements that won’t break the bank.

Outside Linebacker

Amy Sancetta/Associated Press

The Steelers are likely to lose not only outside linebacker Jason Worilds, but James Harrison as well. Even Arthur Moats is a free agent and could find himself seeking out a larger contract on the open market.

Even though the Steelers are likely to address outside linebacker in the draft, adding a veteran to start opposite Jarvis Jones would give a rookie the chance to ease himself into the lineup. At the same time, Pittsburgh needs to consider some beefier outside linebackers to hold up better against the run and still be able to get after the quarterback

The bargain pick here is Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Pernell McPhee. McPhee had a huge season in a reserve role for Baltimore this year. With no starts, McPhee still got 7.5 sacks as a massive hybrid outside linebacker. With the Steelers staring down a possible shift in defensive alignment, a player as big as McPhee who can still rush the passer would be invaluable in a hybrid front.

Cornerback

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Cornerback Ike Taylor has been a constant in the Steelers secondary for the past 10 seasons. However, it is now time for a changing of the guard, and that means Taylor is unlikely to return. The Steelers have enough cornerbacks on the roster with experience to hold down the fort.

That means the Steelers can go out and take a chance on a low-cost player with a ton of upside. They need to come cheap, and that means finding a guy who is a bit forgotten and hoping the rest of the league forgets he is out there.

The San Francisco 49ers had cornerback Chris Cook as a key reserve cornerback, until a hamstring injury forced him to injured reserve by the middle of the season. At 6’2” and 212 pounds, Cook has an elite NFL frame for cornerback or safety for the Steelers.

At worst, a healthy Cook is a tall nickel corner who could come in and cover tight ends and slot receivers. But if he is at his best, Cook could be a true No. 1 cornerback.

Safety

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

There appears to be some pretty significant turnover among the Pittsburgh safeties. If Troy Polamalu chooses to retire, that would leave a huge hole in the defensive backfield. With Will Allen and Robert Golden both free agents, the Steelers will need to load up at the position.

A guy for the Steelers to consider who could come cheap is Kansas City Chiefs safety Kurt Coleman. Coleman is a five-year veteran with 32 games of starting experience. In 2014, when Coleman was asked to come in and start in replacement of Eric Berry, he played well but probably won’t get a new deal from the Chiefs.

Coleman does a nice job in a two-deep safety look and has the size to slide up and play the run. Coleman could give the Steelers the freedom to have safety Mike Mitchell slide into the strong safety position, replacing Polamalu.

Tight End

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It might not seem like a big deal that the Steelers could be losing veteran tight end Matt Spaeth to free agency. However, with what the Steelers like to do on offense, having Spaeth in the lineup as an extra blocker has proven invaluable.

So, if the Steelers decide that giving Spaeth a new deal isn’t an option, the first option to replace is Rob Blanchflower. Blanchflower was drafted in the seventh round in 2014, and spent the season on the practice squad. Blanchflower is a nice all-around player and should get a shot at making the final roster over any players coming in.

However, that still means the Steelers could add a third tight end that could operate as a receiver or blocker. If the Steelers want to go on the cheap, Seattle Seahawks tight end Tony Moeaki is my pick. Moeaki is four years younger than Spaeth and has a nice resume.

During his time with the Kansas City Chiefs, Moeaki had two full seasons as the starter and caught 80 passes during those years. As a backup, Moeaki would be a great second receiving option at tight end while still being a solid blocker.

Wide Receiver

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Pittsburgh tried to pull in some veteran depth at wide receiver before the start of the 2014 season. Pittsburgh brought in both Darrius Heyward-Bey and Lance Moore to provide a veteran presence to the wide receiving corp. Neither panned out to be much in terms of offensive production, and both could find themselves out of work.

This isn’t a concern because the Steelers have three great wide receivers in Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton and Martavis Bryant. However, adding a veteran player behind them makes a lot of sense, especially if there is an injury.

So, who do the Steelers bring in on the cheap to be that veteran? Put me down for Washington Redskins wide receiver Santana Moss. Moss might be 35 years old, but he is a fiery competitor who can impact this roster without making a lot of catches.