Steeler 2020 Free Agents...Who Stays, Who Goes?

[Yo Tee]

2020 NFL Free Agents Tracker

I'm not going to bore you with all of these guys, but there are some interesting decisions Tomlin needs to make.

Starters

Vance McDonald...30, iirc he's about $6 mil on the cap...I say no.

Bud Dupree...27, currently on the 5th yr option for $9 mil...this is a scary one...9.5 sacks and a host of splash plays this season. The top of the market for OLBs will be in the $15 to 19 mil per...I'd like him around $10 to $12 mil per...he's still the #2 edge rusher....Stays.

Javon Hargrave...27, we've said it for a long time, he's going to get offers in the $10 mil per range from a 43 DEF front and PIT just cannot pay that for a 2 down DL...I want to keep him, but they can't put $30 mil per in the DL...I think he goes elsewhere I hope not BAL or another AFCN team..

Mike Hilton...26, another tough one. He's one of the top slot CBs in the game, but they still have Sutton on his rookie deal and he's developed enough to take over...Hilton goes

Key Guys

BJ Finney...28, the versatile interior guy that is creeping up in age, but he has several prime years left...time to give him the LG job long term...Stays, they release Foster he's the '20 starter...(I hope)

Matt Feiler...28, they will pay one of the OL positions FA money, not both. I think they like the RT depth and will I think they let Feiler test the FA market. Goes...Chuks or Banner plugs in at RT.

Zach Banner...26, idk what his complete status is, but if they let Feiler walk I think he becomes more valuable. Stays, team friendly deal.

Thoughts?

Personally, I hope Vance, Dupree Hilton and Banner stays and everyone else can go, to be honest. Vance as that Heath Miller quality to him that, as of right now, no other TE on our roster has and there aren't many free agent TEs to go after. I think we should keep Vance. I feel that Bud Dupree has played his way onto another contract. He's stepped up pretty well this year. Sutton on his rookie deal is cheaper, definitely, but I don't trust anyone in our secondary aside from Minkah right now. Joe Haden stepped up recently, but where was that level of play the entire year? I feel like this is gonna be a huge offseason for the Steelers.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Personally, I hope Vance, Dupree Hilton and Banner stays and everyone else can go, to be honest. Vance as that Heath Miller quality to him that, as of right now, no other TE on our roster has and there aren't many free agent TEs to go after. I think we should keep Vance. I feel that Bud Dupree has played his way onto another contract. He's stepped up pretty well this year. Sutton on his rookie deal is cheaper, definitely, but I don't trust anyone in our secondary aside from Minkah right now. Joe Haden stepped up recently, but where was that level of play the entire year? I feel like this is gonna be a huge offseason for the Steelers.

McD...not his fault entirely...but neither Rudolph nor Hodges used the TE nearly enough...some of that was Fichtner using them as blockers on many plays. He's athletic, and becomes a bigger weapon with Ben, but he's on the shelf a lot...at a lower cap hit, I'm interested, but not at his current #.

Bud...He's going to get a good offer from PIT...as history tells, it will boil down to the guaranteed money. At this point I'm saying 50/50. Great season, but on one yr you've gotten try to protect against the previous 4 yr production...wherever he goes I expect his deal will have a healthy amount of roster bonuses, especially if it's a top of the market contract.

Hilton...yeah I don't see them paying him with Sutton able to jump in his role.

Secondary...I actually thought they did a really good job collectively, but there were games Haden didn't look like a CB1, still made enough plays to make this a difficult DEF. Edmunds is still growing into his role...made some plays, but made some mistakes. Fitz has helped make him better and Nelson was better than advertised.

Layne needs to take that next level and put himself in position where they need to find a DEF role for him next yr much like they did with Sutton.