5 Available Free Agents Still Within Pittsburgh Steelers' Reach

The Pittsburgh Steelers are not known as an active team in free agency, and this year was no different. The Steelers focused on re-signing key members of their own roster while bringing in just one player, running back DeAngelo Williams, from outside the organization.

The Steelers' reticence in free agency can be boiled down to two major causes: a belief that a winning team is built through drafting and developing young players and a salary-cap situation that has left them with little spending cash on a yearly basis.

Both hold true this year, based on the Steelers' behavior in free agency thus far and the fact that, after signing their 2015 rookie class, the team has just over $4.8 million in cap space remaining. Still, there are free agents on the open market that could both intrigue the team and be affordable.

Here are five veteran free agents that the Steelers still could pursue this offseason.

DE Alex Carrington

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The Steelers had interest in defensive end Alex Carrington last year after he hit free agency following a four-year stint with the Buffalo Bills. Now, Carrington is a free agent again after one season with the St. Louis Rams. It's possible that the Steelers kick the tires on him again in the coming weeks or months.

Carrington has played both defensive end and outside linebacker but would fit best in Pittsburgh as a 3-4 end with moderate pass-rushing responsibilities, much as they used Brett Keisel. In his career, Carrington has totaled 54 combined tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble. He had only one tackle for the Rams and appeared in eight games.

Carrington may not have the gaudiest career stats, but he's a talented player with impressive technique and underrated pass-rushing skills. In Pittsburgh, he would take snaps away from Cam Thomas, Pro Football Focus' last-ranked 3-4 defensive end for the 2014 season. He could also be plugged in at outside linebacker depending on defensive scheme.

Much as Arthur Moats insinuated himself into the Steelers' linebacking corps last year to the point where he may become a three-down starter this year, Carrington could do the same on the Steelers' defensive line this season.

S Stevie Brown

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Stevie Brown was one of the NFL's biggest head-turners in 2012, when he had a breakout inaugural season with the New York Giants. After bouncing from the Oakland Raiders in 2010 to the Indianapolis Colts in 2011, he came to New York in 2012 and totaled 76 combined tackles, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, eight interceptions and 11 passes defensed.

An ACL tear suffered in the 2013 preseason derailed his entire year, and it took some time for Brown to again get comfortable on the football field. Though he appeared in all 16 games for the Giants in 2014, he amassed 38 tackles, one sack and one pass defensed, with no interceptions.

Still, Brown has proven he can play the safety position just as well as anyone in the NFL. And he can play both free and strong safety. That's good news for the Steelers, who need to replace the retired Troy Polamalu.

If Mike Mitchell is moved to strong safety, Brown can start at free safety. If Mitchell stays at free safety, he can play strong safety. That will allow the recently re-signed Will Allen to again serve in a reserve role and give Shamarko Thomas more time to develop into an eventual starter.

RB Ronnie Brown

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ESPN's Adam Schefter broke the news last week that Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell will be suspended for the first three games of the 2015 season, stemming from a 2014 DUI arrest. That leaves the Steelers with DeAngelo Williams as their lead back for the first three weeks, with only Josh Harris currently on the roster as his backup.

Though the Steelers are more likely to find another running back via the draft than free agency, if they are after a veteran—and an affordable one at that—then Ronnie Brown may be of interest.

Brown is heading into his 11th season in the NFL. He spent the majority of it with the Miami Dolphins before spending a year with the Philadelphia Eagles. He played for the San Diego Chargers in 2012 and 2013, spent around a month with the Houston Texans in 2014 and then returned to the Chargers after their group of running backs suffered myriad injuries.

Brown has totaled 5,391 rushing yards and 38 rushing touchdowns on his career and has a 4.2 yards-per-carry average. He also has caught 246 of the 267 passes thrown his way for 1,966 yards and two additional scores. In 2014, he rushed 14 times for the Chargers, tallying 59 yards, and also caught four passes for 39 yards.

For the Steelers, Brown brings in versatility and speed to pair with Williams' power. Though Brown may not have long-term value in Pittsburgh beyond the first three weeks of the season, signing him to a one-year deal worth $855,000, as both the Texans and Chargers did last year, would be an acceptable price to have one more veteran on the team's running backs depth chart.

WR Robert Meachem

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Last year, the Steelers signed former New Orleans Saints free agent receiver Lance Moore to handle some of the team's slot receiving duties. This year, they could opt to tread a similar path and bring on receiver Robert Meachem to aid the team in the slot.

Though generally used as a wideout in New Orleans, Meachem would be well-suited for spot duties in the slot for Pittsburgh this year. On his career, Meachem has been thrown to 293 times, with 178 receptions for 2,914 yards and 27 scores. He somewhat fell out of favor in New Orleans last year, catching just seven passes on 20 targets for 114 yards and brought back during the season only because of injuries.

Meachem would not be a reliable option for the Steelers were they in need of a starter to pair with Antonio Brown. But as a minimal-use slot receiver, much as Moore was last year, Meachem would provide the Steelers with an affordable veteran. 

S Dawan Landry

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If the Steelers want a plug-and-play strong safety to replace Troy Polamalu this year while developing Shamarko Thomas or another young player to become an eventual starter, then they should look no further than free agent Dawan Landry.

A nine-year veteran of three teams, Landry spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons with the New York Jets. On his career, he's totaled 765 combined tackles, eight sacks, 13 interceptions and 43 passes defensed. In 2014, he had 106 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one pass defensed as a typical, in-the-box strong safety. His performance ranked in the top 10 among safeties by Pro Football Focus last year.

Though Landry has played and can play free safety, strong safety is where he shines the brightest. He's one of the better run-stopping safeties in the NFL and has shown a strong capacity to bring pressure on quarterbacks when asked. 

At 32 years old (and 33 years old in December), Landry would simply serve as a stopgap between Polamalu and the future. But it's not likely he'd be opposed to a one-year contract at the veteran minimum in order to aid the secondary of a playoff-caliber team like the Steelers.