It’s been a week since the beginning of the NFL’s free unrestricted agency period, and if you’re a Steelers fan, you’re probably dissatisfied. If this sounds familiar to you, it is probably because it has been your state of being for the past 10 years. Why? Because you are a Steelers fan who has not yet learned what this time of year means for your expectations.
Am I kidding … or am I serious?
Anyway, here are 15 things I learned in the first week of the Steelers’ free agency:
- The Steelers were very serious about dealing with their boundary problems this time around, issues that have become more problematic for years of kicking the can down the road in the form of restructuring and extensions. Some examples: they managed to get defender Ben Roethlisberger to accept a cut in pay; they cut Vince Williams; they did the same with Steven Nelson on Tuesday.
- I personally think that Nelson forced the Steelers to cut him. I believe they asked him to negotiate an extension as a means of creating some space for the limit, and Nelson took this as an opportunity to try to get paid as one of the best in the NFL. The Steelers, being the Steelers and all, probably rejected that idea and are now willing to play 2021 without Nelson as one of their first corners.
- Do you know how I know that Steelers are Steelers? Matt Feiler, a versatile 28-year-old offensive striker with 40 career starts, signed a three-year, $ 21 million contract with the Chargers at the start of the free agency. Relentless, Pittsburgh waited a few days and signed Joe Haeg, a versatile 27-year-old striker with 38 career starts, for a $ 4.6 million contract in two years. I’m not saying that Haeg is on the same level as Feiler and will take action and leave for Pittsburgh on tackle or guard – he could just be a deep piece. But would you be surprised if he ended up doing this and did very well? Me too.
- A lot of “comforting wine” was consumed during the first few hours and days of free agency, when the Steelers were doing nothing but allowing players to walk away – at least according to many people I follow on Twitter.
- Many fans wanted the Steelers to simultaneously deal with their limit problems and also make a mega-splash on the free agency and / or keep all of their own free agents. This tells me two things: One: people are very bad at math. Two: these people on Twitter were probably drinking “comfort tequila”.
- Some fans agree that Steelers signs a free agent offensive lineman for an approximately $ 1 billion contract (with incentives, of course), but they disagree with choosing one in the first round of the 2021 Draft of NFL. .
- How Bryan Anthony Davis and I co-hosted the last episode of Steelers Hangover and we did an exercise in which we tried to determine which position the Steelers would aim for with their choice of the first round based on their free agent activity, we found that they could go in any number of directions – offensive attack, center, cornerback, running back, inside linebacker, etc. It’s all on the table.
- However, I still think the quarterback is out of the question, unless the Steelers are perfectly fine with Mac Jones from Alabama being the last dish left on the table – and even then, they may have to go buy a longer table. .
- The Steelers were still able to surprise me by rehiring the JuJu Smith-Schuster receiver for a $ 8 million one-year contract.
- “Canceled years” is now one of the new ways in which the Steelers are dealing with their limit problems.
- In fact, it is possible to mock a player for having to accept a contract worth “only” $ 8 million – at least according to Twitter, Facebook and radio talk show hosts.
- Ravens fans seemed overexcited with the possibility of landing at Smith-Schuster, that is, until he signed with Pittsburgh again. After that, they were super relieved that they didn’t end up with a branded receiver.
- It is impossible to mention the name of Smith-Schuster without also bringing up your activity on social media – regardless of whether you approve or disapprove it. Pro-social media person who uses social media to talk about JuJu: “I think he is a good recipient. I just wanted people to stop worrying so much about the boy’s activity on social media. ”Anti-social media person who uses social media to talk about JuJu (probably during working hours):“ I have nothing against the child. I think he is a good receiver, but I would like him to throw away the rubbish of social networks and realize that football is his job. ”
- No Steelers fan seems to understand the irony of always referring to Smith-Schuster as a child, while mentioning how active he is on social media.
- JuJu Smith-Schuster is the most polarizing thing that has come to Pittsburgh since the bike lanes.
Here it is. Fifteen things I learned from the first week of the Steelers’ free agency.