The new year of the NFL league officially begins on March 17, but the adulteration period begins on Monday, March 15. That means the news is going to be crazy this week, with teams trying to put together a list with the salary cap falling to $ 182.5 million.
For teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, who spend to the top almost every season, making moves will be difficult, as well as keeping their own free-agent players at home. With the league year scheduled to start this week, the ESPN team of insiders gathered news and notes from some of the biggest names in free agents about to hit the open market. Undoubtedly, there were many Steelers listed in the article.
Below are some of the news and notes to digest before the Free Agent feeding frenzy begins.
One of the biggest names of free agents that Steelers fans have been observing is Mike Hilton. The versatile and dynamic slotback of the slot machine will be a free agent for the first time in his career, apart from when he was jumping between teams in his first year in the league, and he seeks to profit from the opportunity.
Initial feedback indicates that Steelers’ corner Mike Hilton has positioned itself at the top or near the top of the nickel corner market. Its ability to cover and blitz (9.5 bags since 2017) makes it a perfect fit for a defense that plays in a heavy zone and brings pressure (think of Bears, Packers, Chargers, Falcons or Eagles).
Hilton isn’t the only news surrounding the Steelers, but wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster always seems to make headlines. In the quotes below, it is more about what is not said about Smith-Schuster than what is said. In other words, Smith-Schuster, despite all the headlines saying he wants to stay, will be testing the free agency and looking for a home outside of Pittsburgh.
We are hearing that most of the top recipients – Kenny Golladay, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Corey Davis – will test the free agency, but some have a chance to re-sign with their respective teams: Nelson Agholor with Las Vegas and Curtis Samuel with Carolina.
We hope the Jets will exploit the help of the signature receiver, and they have evaluated Will Fuller, Smith-Schuster and Kendrick Bourne, favorites of the new offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur of his time in San Francisco together.
What may have been the most shocking news in the article was about Alejandro Villanueva. Despite rumors that Villanueva is retiring, he made it clear that he still wants to play. It was assumed that the Steelers could not pay, or did not want to, bring it back, but this suggests that the Steelers are in negotiations with Villanueva about a possible return. Could Villanueva return with a discount from his hometown to play left before ending his career?
Having secured a salary cut from Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers are trying to mount an offensive line in front of him as they move forward to reach below the salary ceiling. They signed BJ Finney, who can play in the center or guard as needed, and talked to left striker Alejandro Villanueva about a return, although they have yet to discover the contract numbers.
Matt Feiler and Zach Banner are also free agents who need to be replaced if the Steelers cannot bring them back. It is believed that they basically have no chance of re-signing the wide receiver Smith-Schuster or Dupree.
The news about Hilton and Smith-Schuster was expected, but Villanueva’s potential return certainly muddied the waters of the free agency, where we all thought it was crystal clear. If Villanueva returns, what does that mean for Zach Banner or Matt Feiler?
More questions than answers surround the Steelers for this huge week. With that said, stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes on black and gold as they prepare for the new year of the league, the NFL Free Agency and the 2021 NFL Draft.