Last offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers went out into free agency and spent some big money on guys like cornerback Steven Nelson, wide receiver Donte Moncrief and linebacker Mark Barron. Nelson turned out to be the only hit of the bunch. This offseason, the Steelers have almost no salary cap space to work with and will be shopping out of the bargain bin when it comes to free agency.
Here are six guys who could be cap casualties the Steelers might be able to pick up on sale.
G Ronald Leary
Leary could be a nice veteran option if the Steelers release Ramon Foster. When he played with Dallas he was exceptional but he’s struggled to stay healthy with the Broncos. He could be a great one-year stopgap guy while the Steelers sort out between B.J. Finney and Matt Feiler.
G Brian Winters
Similar to Leary, Winters is a guy who could come in and be a value signing in place of Foster and give the Steelers a very good pass protector at guard. At only 28 years old, Winters has a lot of good football ahead of him.
OLB Leonard Floyd
Floyd has never lived up to his pre-draft billing and it’s unlikely the Chicago Bears will continue to wait. But Floyd is a guy who could come in on the cheap and work with one of the best defenses in the league. Just the talent that would be around him on the Steelers would take some of the pressure off him to produce.
OLB Charles Harris
Harris is another former first-round pick who has failed to meet expectations. But when you are the Steelers and shopping on a shoestring budget, taking a chance on Harris, who had a huge college career could find new life in Pittsburgh with great coaching and elite talent around him.
NT Dontari Poe
The Steelers may need to find a replacement for Javon Hargrave and Poe could be a bargain. He’s set to count $9 million against the cap for the Carolina Panthers and it’s unlikely they keep him. If the Steelers could get him for a low-cost one-year deal he’d be a great fill in while they determine what they have on the roster or perhaps groom a 2020 rookie.
NT Damon Harrison
It might be wishful thinking to hope Harrison could come to the Steelers as a bargain. He’s 31 so he cannot demand a huge contract but as one of the best run stoppers in the NFL so he’s definitely a guy for Pittsburgh to track, should the Lions release him.
