A case for — and against — the Steelers keeping each of their UFAs on offense/special teams
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The “legal tampering” period for NFL unrestricted free agency — during which teams are free to contact players on expired contracts — begins Monday. As such, TribLive will take a look at each of the Steelers’ 17 players from last season who are free agents, and why (or why not) the Steelers might want to keep each.
This examines free agents on offense and special teams, and another edition will be a look at those from the defense.
Listed in order of snaps played in 2023:
ST Miles Killebrew
Bring him back: Though technically a safety by trade — and a useful one in subpackages, at that — Killebrew’s claim to fame is his special teams prowess. He was the AP’s designated All-Pro for such duties last season, largely a testament for his elite ability to block punts. Killebrew earned the Steelers two points as the result of a blocked punt into the end zone during a win against Baltimore, and an unofficial block (the deflected ball passed the line of scrimmage) against New England led to field position that produced a Steelers touchdown. Killebrew is a valued member of the locker room and special-teams captain.
Let him go: With all due respect to special-teamers, a case could be made that the allocation of salary-cap dollars would be wisest spent on offense or defense. It would be foolish to get into a bidding war with a team that might covet what Killebrew could bring.
Prediction: Killebrew is respected and liked enough by organizational braintrust that he signs a third contract with the Steelers since 2021 and is back for a fourth season with the team, a second as a co-captain.
WR Miles Boykin
Bring him back: Boykin is almost the mirror image of Killebrew for the offense — he played 121 snaps on offense and 316 on special teams in 2014 (Killebrew 111 on defense and 319 on special teams). The team’s “gunner” on punt coverage, Boykin joins Killebrew as a popular, sage-like voice in the locker room. He also serves as the No. 5 WR, typically during “heavy” or run-focused packages.
Let him go: Though the savings are marginal, the salary of a rookie or younger player to handle the same role as Boykin would be less than the minimum he would be paid as a six-year NFL veteran.
Prediction: Like last year at this time, Boykin returns on another one-year deal with the Steelers for a third consecutive season.
QB Mason Rudolph
Bring him back: Rudolph late last season by most measures provided the Steelers with their best quarterback play since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement — and, arguably, even extending back through Big Ben’s final season. He had almost as many touchdown passes in four games (including playoffs, five) as Kenny Pickett (six) had during 12 games last season. Counting the regular season only, had Rudolph qualified for league leaders he would have had the best passer rating (118.0) in the NFL last season. His QBR of 70.6 would have ranked third in the league.
Simply put: Most any team in the league would take Rudolph’s play over a four-week stretch from its starting-caliber quarterback.
Let him go: That came in a small sample size, and Steelers management long ago across multiple personnel administrations had decided Rudolph was not starting-caliber. The team braintrust repeatedly has said Pickett in 2024 will be given every opportunity to show he’s the franchise QB. And under those circumstances, would Rudolph want to be here?
There are plenty of other options for a proven backup who can push Pickett.
Prediction: This is the headliner for all Steelers 2024 free-agent decisions. And it’s one that could be decided by, well, a headliner.
If the Steelers elect to go down the road of a Russell Wilson or Justin Fields acquisition, that likely would preclude the possibility of doing business with Rudolph. From Rudolph’s perspective, he will have to wait to see if the Steelers take their swing at a “bigger name.” He also would be wise to test the market on his own because all it takes is one team to offer either a significant financial commitment or an unambiguous opportunity to start (or both). But absent that, and assuming the Steelers don’t land a Wilson type, Rudolph comes to the conclusion his best move is to stay put.
C Mason Cole, OT Chuks Okorafor, QB Mitch Trubisky, P Pressley Harvin III
These four players fall into a different category because although they are unrestricted free agents, they had been under contract for 2024 but have been released by the Steelers in recent weeks. That is a clear indication the team believes it’s best for a permanent parting of ways.
Although, on some level, perhaps the organization wouldn’t mind having one of the above back at a greatly reduced salary, the cuts strongly suggest there is no chance that is going to happen. Two of them — Okorafor (Patriots) and Trubisky (Bills) — already have joined other teams.