Early Steelers Offseason Outlook

Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Luke Ranalli

I have alluded to this in another article and have talked about the drastic changes the Steelers could see by next season. Today, I want to get down and dirty and look at the contracts that are up and the cap space the Steelers have.

Long list, but here is every unrestricted free agent as of right now from the Steelers '22 roster. Also included is the current market value of notable players.

• Larry Ogunjobi - 3.4mil
• Mason Rudolph 
• Devon Bush - 3mil
• Cameron Sutton - 7.6mil
• Derek Watt 
• Jesse Davis
• Tyson Alualu
• Marcus Allen 
• Terrell Edmunds - 5.4mil
• Robert Spillane
• Malik Reed
• Chris Wormley
• Damontae Kazee
• Karl Joseph
• Miles Boykin
• Jamir Jones
• Benny Snell Jr.
• J.C. Hassenauer
• James Pierre
• Zach Gentry
• Elijah Riley 

As it stands, the Steelers have $13mil and some change in cap space going into the '23 season. I know the draft isn't even on most fans radars as of right now but just looking at that list and looking at the cap space this offseason is going to prove difficult to say the least.

Two things stand out in recent news, we can call it a tale of two brothers. First being Cameron Heyward who sits at just over $22mil in cap hit. I know Heyward is contracted through '25, but there was talk in October of trading Heyward, and while I am glad they didn't and Heyward proved why he is the second highest paid on this team, he's definitely an option if the Steelers are getting more serious about rebuilding around the young blood. Even with a trade, Heyward would still have a dead cap hit at close to $13mil, but $9mil is nothing to scoff at when space is needed.

Cam is getting towards retirement age and most likely looking to get the best payout for his remaining years. I doubt he would want to leave Pittsburgh, especially with his brother Connor contracted through '26, but money talks, especially when you're pushing 34 as a defensive tackle in the NFL. Connor said himself he thinks brother Cam has another three or four years in him and I can see the Steelers looking to retain him till he retires, but a rebuild is a rebuild, and Cam would alleviate a lot of space moving forward.

The next brother on the list is Terrell Edmunds who was on a one-year deal at $2.5mil. As of writing this, his market value is sitting at almost five and a half mil which I could see the Steelers trying to come to terms with, but I don't think Edmunds will take anything lower to stay. I also see Terrell wanting to play with brother Tremaine whose contract is also up this year with Buffalo. I wouldn't be shocked if Buffalo is willing to shell out a few extra for Terrell and Tremaine to both be in Buffalo next year. Hell, I could see Terrell taking a pay cut just to play for a team that is a super bowl contender for the past few years, let alone to play with his brother.

Anyway, back to the Steelers and the choices they need to make. Again, the season just ended for them, and speculation is just starting to swirl around the potential draft picks, so I am doing my best not to get ahead of myself. However, with so many contracts up, and so little space in the cap, there will need to be a lot of wheeling and dealing for this organization.

To stay in the realm of being competitive, do the Steelers focus on the defense yet again, trying to either re-sign the likes of Devin Bush, Cameron Sutton, and Terrell Edmunds? Would it be smarter to try and patch those spots and rather focus on the offensive line so Kenny Pickett is better protected and maybe the offense can be more productive with the ball? George Pickens was great this year, but Diontae Johnson was less than helpful with his dropped balls and lack of touchdowns this season. With the departure of Chase Claypool, should the Steelers look to spend for a deep threat? Can we rely on the draft again to get a wide receiver that can hopefully replace Johnson and compliment Pickens in the near future?

I guess only time will tell, but to me, these are the most pressing matters in this offseason that need addressed by this team.