Three Free Agents Steelers Must Re-Sign
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have eight unrestricted free agents on defense and will need to bring at least a few from that list back in 2023. But atop the candidates sit three players who's return means the Steelers avoid any setbacks in trying to take this group to the next level.
During locker room clean-out day everyone spoke about a possible return to Pittsburgh. If you just spent however many years here and are about to hit the market, of course you're hoping the Steelers offer you a deal that makes you want to stay.
The team will negotiate with most of those eight players, but there will be three they'll be looking to strike a deal with and for good reason.
The first is Terrell Edmunds. There's nothing overly exciting about Edmunds and playing next to Minkah Fitzpatrick, you often hear of his lack of playmaking ability.
Well, Edmunds may not create the turnovers his All-Pro counterpart does, but he's developed into the exact player the Steelers wanted at the safety position.
Edmunds totaled 70 tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss and five pass deflections this season. Over the years, he's become the team's go-to when defending tight ends and allowed just 20 completions against opponents in 2022.
"This is home base," Edmunds said on re-signing. "They gave me the opportunity to do what I love. They gave me the opportunity to be an NFL player, and I can’t say thank you enough for that. If they do offer me another deal, of course, I would definitely try to make things work and go from there."
Edmunds isn't flashy, but he's a player who Fitzpatrick has admitted has a nonverbal bound with on the field. Keeping that together should be something the Steelers aim for as they look to take the defense to the next level moving forward.
The second player is Cam Sutton.
Sutton has turned himself into the team's CB1 and should remain that starting outside corner with inside ability next season. Many analysts have a cornerback near the top of the Steelers' draft board, but even if that's the case, the team will want a veteran like Sutton to
As unexciting as the Steelers' secondary may have appeared, the unit led the NFL in interceptions this season with 20. They have Levi Wallace, Ahkello Witherspoon and William Jackson on contract for another season, but if they're looking for the best players to put on the field, Sutton tops that list.
"I felt like we were just getting into playing our best ball moving towards the end of the year. Really getting into that comfortability level of finding out how guys play and see the game, moving around on the field, not in a sense of necessarily always being in the right place at the right time, but different looks, different disguises, having different versatile pieces on the back end, different personnel packages," Sutton said. "We really kind of created a different identity. Just getting that exposure, especially with the new additions of guys coming in their first year and having a big part of that success as well. And just obviously, our pieces that we’ve always had, and our foundation, and just building off of that, continuing to be able to find those pieces, continuing to line up against these various offenses you see and matchups you see week in and week out and being able to be successful.
"It was a great start for us, but it was just that there was so much ball that you’re going to always look back on, plays that you could have made or should have made, this, that and the third," Sutton said. "That’s just a steppingstone or a starting point for us knowing that there’s so much out there for us to continue to be successful in so many different areas and help this team in so many different ways."
Keeping the core together should be a priority, but they should also be thinking about expanding it. Adding a rookie with Sutton and Wallace to accompany him seems ideal for a team looking for some consistency at cornerback.
And finally, the third player is Robert Spillane.
Spillane said during locker clean-out that he wants to return to Pittsburgh, but this will be the first time he truly hits the free agency market.
After playing 100% of the team's defensive snaps the final four games of the season, you'd have to imagine the Steelers believe Spillane is the future at the inside linebacker position.
It can't end there, and as much excitement that's around Mark Robinson, having at least two veterans makes that position much more of a group to believe in.
Myles Jack also remains on the roster but with $11.25 million cap hit coming next season, you could expect his release before training camp.
Moving forward, it feels like the right move is Spillane and a new addition.
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