On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Steelers agreed to terms with free-agent safety Keanu Neal. Here are our big takeaways from the signing.
How much does Neal have left?
Neal’s career has pretty much been all or nothing due to injuries. He’s played seven seasons, with only three of them being close to complete and healthy. He’s been a part-time player the last two seasons and expectations should be tempered that he will be more than a third safety.
Damontae Kazee should start
I don’t hate Neal as a player but when healthy, Damontae Kazee is a much better option. He’s a strong physical defender and knows the system much better than Neal.
Definitely shifts draft focus
When the news first came out that Terrell Edmunds had signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, strong safety became a top draft need. But with Kazee re-signed and now Neal, it’s unlikely the Steelers draft a safety at all now.
