PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Steelers filled holes in free agency by adding an outside cornerback, a slot corner candidate, an inside linebacker and a complementary running back.
What they didn’t get was a high-profile defensive lineman, but coach Mike Tomlin insists that omission was not because of the Steelers’ ongoing search for a quarterback that prevented them from spreading out their salary cap dollars.
“I don’t feel like our free agency plans have been hindered by anything, particularly the pursuit of one individual,” Tomlin said Sunday at the NFL annual meetings.
That was a reference to the Steelers trying to coax quarterback Aaron Rodgers into accepting their contract offer. The Steelers remain about $34 million under the salary cap, although at least half of that money is earmarked for Rodgers should the 41-year-old passer sign with the team.
A year after giving linebacker Patrick Queen a three-year, $41 million contract, the Steelers haven’t allocated more than $10 million to any free agent. Cornerback Darius Slay agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal, and linebacker Malik Harrison got $10 million over two seasons. The Steelers did give wide receiver DK Metcalf a five-year, $150 million contract after acquiring him in a trade.
The Steelers were unable to land a top-tier defensive lineman in free agency after releasing Larry Ogunjobi. After the initial wave, they signed depth pieces in defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale and defensive ends Isaiahh Loudermilk and Esezi Otomewo.
“I don’t know if I would describe it as disappointing,” Tomlin said. “I would say it’s free agency. It’s a free market. Sometimes, you’re able to check some boxes. Sometimes, you aren’t. When you check a box in free agency, you don’t have to check it in the draft and vice versa. It’s about the acquisition of talent and not necessarily where it comes from.”
That would indicate defensive line being a priority for the Steelers in the first round.
“I don’t know that we’ve placed a pecking order on positional needs as we sit here today,” Tomlin said. “I’m not saying we won’t. I’m saying there is a lot of time between now and the draft. … A lot of things go into weighing the need component. We’re not there yet.”
Doubling down
Tomlin raved about the acquisition of Metcalf, who averaged 1,000 receiving yards a season in his six years with the Seattle Seahawks. He envisions an offense that includes Metcalf and fourth-year receiver George Pickens, whose return has come into question because of maturity issues last season.
Tomlin talked about the possibility of having two dynamic receivers in his offense, something that his team has lacked in recent years.
“I don’t know that affects (Pickens) in any way directly,” he said. “Certainly, the strength of the pack is the pack. You have eligibles that are schematic problems for those that defend you, and it creates more opportunity for all involved. That is the only lens with which I’ve looked through to this point.”
Without mentioning any duo directly, Tomlin hinted that a Metcalf-Pickens pairing could rival what the Cincinnati Bengals have in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
“We see similar challenges within our division,” he said. “We want to put a group together that has that presence.”
Committee business
As a member of the NFL competition committee, Tomlin spent a good portion of his Sunday afternoon in a meeting discussing the five playing rules proposals that will be sent to ownership for a vote this week.
Among them is making the dynamic kickoff permanent and a move by Green Bay to ban the “Tush Push.”
Tomlin said some language was reworked in the tweaked kickoff rule proposal, which would place the ball at the receiving team’s 35 instead of the 30 on a touchback. A counterpoint is moving the kickoff line back 5 yards. Both options are being considered to encourage more returns.
“I think all of those things have been a component of healthy discussion,” Tomlin said.
That also has extended to the “Tush Push” play, which has been popularized — and some say exploited — by Philadelphia and Buffalo in recent years.
“I think we’re still in hot debate on it,” Tomlin said. “We just left the meeting where some other further discussions have been had, and it might even change in the next 24 hours in terms of some of the language or the trajectory of some of the arguments based on the change in potential language.”