Free agency primer: After 2022 spending spree, can Steelers add more pieces on OL?
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After unexpectedly starting two rookies and turning over all but one starter from the previous season’s offensive line, the Pittsburgh Steelers plunged into free agency last March as they continued to retool their front five.
The Steelers were more active than any offseason in franchise history, and the evidence was in the offensive linemen who came aboard or were re-signed before they hit the open market.
Interior linemen James Daniels and Mason Cole agreed to three-year deals worth $26.5 million and $15.75 million, respectively. The Steelers also brought back right tackle Chuks Okorafor on a three-year, $29.25 million contract.
That trio joined third-year guard Kevin Dotson and second-year left tackle Dan Moore to form a line that didn’t miss a start the entire season. The group didn’t hit its stride until the second half of the season when the Steelers won seven of their final nine games, including four in a row to close the year.
“I think that we did get better as the season went on, and that’s encouraging,” team president Art Rooney II said in January. “But we’re not going to say we can’t improve. I mean, we’re going to look for ways to improve. I think, overall, consistency is something we could do better with. We had some guys that were a little inconsistent, and we’ve got to do better in that regard.”
Although Rooney didn’t get into specifics, a pair of former fourth-round picks — Dotson and Moore — spring to mind. They were responsible for the most sacks allowed to quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky, with Moore allowing seven and Dotson four.
Given the investment at center and the right side of the line last March, the Steelers likely will target that left side this offseason — be it when free agency opens next week or, more likely, in the NFL Draft in late April.
The Steelers don’t have the amount of cap space they did in 2022 when they entered free agency about $28 million under the threshold. In fact, salary-tracking websites have the Steelers less than $1 million over the limit as free agency approaches.
Any signings in free agency this year would require a contract restructuring or a player such as William Jackson to be released.
With the Steelers expected to focus on retaining their own free agents — see Cameron Sutton, Larry Ogunjobi, Robert Spillane and Terrell Edmunds on defense — any signings for the offensive line probably would be for depth.
Nobody under contract seems to be in a position to push for a starting job. After starting 15 games at center as a rookie, Kendrick Green lost a competition with Dotson at left guard and never saw the field the entire season. Ryan McCollom and Will Dunkle were on the practice squad last year.
The veteran backups the Steelers employed last season — Jesse Davis and Trent Scott — played a combined 31 offensive snaps the entire year — all by Scott. Both players are set to become unrestricted free agents. Backup center J.C. Hassenauer is a restricted free agent.
A low-rent backup the Steelers could pursue is Chris Hubbard, who was a valuable depth piece until he signed with Cleveland in 2018. Hubbard, though, played just 43 snaps last season and perhaps would welcome a return to his roots even if it’s playing for the NFL veteran minimum.
A positional look at the Steelers offensive line situation heading into free agency:
Under contract: Chukwuma Okorafor ($13.083 million cap hit for 2023); James Daniels ($11.166 million); Mason Cole ($6.921 million); Kevin Dotson ($2.096 million); Kendrick Green ($1.329 million); Dan Moore ($1.114 million); Ryan McCollom ($870,000); Will Dunkle ($750,000)
Restricted free agent: J.C. Hassenauer ($895,000 salary in 2022)
Unrestricted free agents: Jesse Davis ($1.25 million salary in 2022), Trent Scott ($1.035 million).