The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a good position with their 2019 class of free agents. No one is going to break the bank and this should give Pittsburgh the opportunity to get some of their pending 2020 free agents signed to extensions before they put together another big season and price themselves out of a spot on the Steelers’ roster.
Here are the three 2020 free agents who the Steelers should give extensions first.
Sean Davis | Safety
In 2018, safety Sean Davis led the team with 80 total tackles. Davis also hauled in an interception, which was a rarity on this defense. Davis graded out at 69.8 on the season by Pro Football Focus and has really come into his own in the secondary. Davis and Terrell Edmunds are the present at safety for Pittsburgh and Davis have shown enough improvement over the past two seasons to get an extension.
Maurkice Pouncey | Center
So goes Ben Roethlisberger, so goes center Maurkice Pouncey. The seven-time Pro Bowl center has made it clear he plans to play as long as Roethlisberger does. Even at 31 Pouncey is among the best centers in the NFL and the heart and soul of the offensive line. Pouncey deserves one more big contract with the Steelers.
Javon Hargrave | Defensive tackle
I didn’t rank this list but if I did, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave would be No. 1 and it wouldn’t be close. Hargrave is still woefully underutilized and flashes every chance he gets. If the Steelers don’t get him signed now and he has an even bigger 2019, some team is going to offer him starter money Pittsburgh might not be able to compete with. Hargrave played less than 45 percent of the defensive snaps in 2018 but was third on the team with 6.5 sacks.
