- Joined
- Apr 7, 2014
- Messages
- 2,542
- Reaction score
- 4,985
- Points
- 93
While the quarterback carousel is in full motion, a quiet, yet vital question that Steeler Nation should be asking is, “What are the Pittsburgh Steelers going to do at the cornerback position?” The Steelers have finished in the top 10 of defensive pass yards allowed in five straight seasons, and if they want to continue that trend, they may need to look at a couple options.
Let’s start with the most exciting options in free agency. With just under $30 million to play around with, there is a possibility the Steelers make a splash to sign top talent. Some notable names include J.C. Jackson, Stephon Gilmore, Carlton Davis, Casey Hayward Jr., and Darious Williams, all of whom are in the top five of free agent corners according to Pro Football Focus. It’s worth nothing that Joe Haden, Ahkello Witherspoon and Arthur Maulet are all set to hit free agency, as well.
Joe Haden is going to be 33-years-old next month and he just finished his final year of his contract that he signed in 2019. Holding the “lockdown corner” role since he signed with the team back in 2017, he may be more interested in testing free agency as an unrestricted free agent than coming back to Pittsburgh, according to one of his recent tweets. If the Steelers do want to bring him back, it may have to be somewhere in the range of $5 million per year, according to Pro Football Focus.
Starting opposite of Haden in 2021 was fifth-year player Cameron Sutton who was tied for second on the team with six passes defended while leading all Steelers corners with 52 total tackles. Sutton will earn a relatively small base salary of $4,500,000 in 2022 while carrying a cap hit of $5,200,000 and a dead cap value of $2,800,000, but it would seem unlikely for the Steelers to part ways with him.
Someone who opened eyes in the Steel City was Ahkello Witherspoon. Following the 2021 preseason trade with the Seattle Seahawks, nobody outside the front office really knew what they were getting, but he sure made his presence felt, especially towards the latter part of 2021. In the two games that Haden missed against the Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens, Witherspoon recorded two interceptions and nine total tackles in both games, and at 26-years-old, he can surely improve. Witherspoon is an unrestricted free agent.
James Pierre joined the Steelers back in 2020 as an undrafted rookie and is entering the final year of his contract, appearing in all but one game in 2021 and recording 47 tackles. With Maulet, there are no guarantees after being signed by the Steelers in May, cut in August, and then being re-signed in September. In his opportunities, however, Maulet did not disappoint with 47 tackles in 16 games played to go along with one pass defended and three tackles for losses. Maulet is an unrestricted free agent.
As for the rest – Justin Layne, Linden Stephens, and Isaiah Johnson – they are all under contract and all under 25-years old while second-year man DeMarkus Acy is set to be an exclusive unrestricted free agent, meaning he can only negotiate and sign with the Steelers because of his league minimum contract.
While the Steelers have a young core at the position, moving on from Haden would eliminate the veteran presence and arguably the team’s best option at corner. With the aforementioned salary cap flexibility, it would be beneficial to either re-sign Haden or dip into the free agency pool.
Who do you want to see at cornerback for the Steelers in 2022? Let us know in the comment section below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
Let’s start with the most exciting options in free agency. With just under $30 million to play around with, there is a possibility the Steelers make a splash to sign top talent. Some notable names include J.C. Jackson, Stephon Gilmore, Carlton Davis, Casey Hayward Jr., and Darious Williams, all of whom are in the top five of free agent corners according to Pro Football Focus. It’s worth nothing that Joe Haden, Ahkello Witherspoon and Arthur Maulet are all set to hit free agency, as well.
Joe Haden is going to be 33-years-old next month and he just finished his final year of his contract that he signed in 2019. Holding the “lockdown corner” role since he signed with the team back in 2017, he may be more interested in testing free agency as an unrestricted free agent than coming back to Pittsburgh, according to one of his recent tweets. If the Steelers do want to bring him back, it may have to be somewhere in the range of $5 million per year, according to Pro Football Focus.
Starting opposite of Haden in 2021 was fifth-year player Cameron Sutton who was tied for second on the team with six passes defended while leading all Steelers corners with 52 total tackles. Sutton will earn a relatively small base salary of $4,500,000 in 2022 while carrying a cap hit of $5,200,000 and a dead cap value of $2,800,000, but it would seem unlikely for the Steelers to part ways with him.
Someone who opened eyes in the Steel City was Ahkello Witherspoon. Following the 2021 preseason trade with the Seattle Seahawks, nobody outside the front office really knew what they were getting, but he sure made his presence felt, especially towards the latter part of 2021. In the two games that Haden missed against the Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens, Witherspoon recorded two interceptions and nine total tackles in both games, and at 26-years-old, he can surely improve. Witherspoon is an unrestricted free agent.
James Pierre joined the Steelers back in 2020 as an undrafted rookie and is entering the final year of his contract, appearing in all but one game in 2021 and recording 47 tackles. With Maulet, there are no guarantees after being signed by the Steelers in May, cut in August, and then being re-signed in September. In his opportunities, however, Maulet did not disappoint with 47 tackles in 16 games played to go along with one pass defended and three tackles for losses. Maulet is an unrestricted free agent.
As for the rest – Justin Layne, Linden Stephens, and Isaiah Johnson – they are all under contract and all under 25-years old while second-year man DeMarkus Acy is set to be an exclusive unrestricted free agent, meaning he can only negotiate and sign with the Steelers because of his league minimum contract.
While the Steelers have a young core at the position, moving on from Haden would eliminate the veteran presence and arguably the team’s best option at corner. With the aforementioned salary cap flexibility, it would be beneficial to either re-sign Haden or dip into the free agency pool.
Who do you want to see at cornerback for the Steelers in 2022? Let us know in the comment section below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
