Stories The 2024 Free Agent Class of the Steelers Shows Startling Lack of Interest in the New NFL.com Rankings

STORIESThe 2024 Free Agent Class of the Steelers Shows Startling Lack of Interest in the New NFL.com Rankings.

In 2023, the Pittsburgh Steelers earned the seventh seed and a spot in the AFC playoffs. To secure the final AFC Wild Card slot, they increased their win total from 2022 by one game. Nevertheless, the roster advanced significantly as Omar Khan and Andy Weidl’s first draft class outperformed projections, providing Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff with several starters and important contributors.

Khan’s initial try at free agency did not yield as much success. Elandon Roberts and Isaac Seumalo were good but unremarkable acquisitions. A huge blow to the Steelers’ secondary came from Patrick Peterson’s regression, while the impact of the free agent class in 2023 was mitigated by injuries to Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander midway through the season. At the end of their contracts, 15 players on the Steelers are now eligible for free agency. Cuts like Chukwuma Okorafor and Mitch Trubisky are not included in this.

Mason Rudolph of the Steelers was chosen by The Athletic as one of the most desirable free agents.
The top 101 NFL free agents were listed in an article published on NFL.com on Tuesday by Gregg Rosenthal, the host of the Around The NFL podcast. The fact that not a single player from the Steelers made the list is hardly shocking. Mason Rudolph, who finished the season with the finest football performance of his career and was recently rated by The Athletic as the sixth best available free agency quarterback, was unable to overtake players like Tyrod Taylor, Jameis Winston, and Gardner Minshew who all made the NFL.com list before him.

According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, the PM Team with Poni & Mueller brought up the subject following their discussion about Rudolph’s alleged free agency price tag being similar to Trubisky’s pay. Chris Mueller was informed by Andrew Fillipponi that he was surprised that no free agent for the Steelers was included in the list.

Initially, none of the Steelers players are listed among the top 100 free agents, according to Fillipponi. “With Rudolph, it’s a little startling. As for the other men, Jacoby Brissett 30th, pay attention. Jacoby Brissett is on their team instead of Baker Mayfield. Brisett didn’t play much.

To be honest, it’s astounding that Jacoby Brissett is ranked among the top 30 NFL free agents; it calls into doubt the entire list. Two former Steelers were ranked by NFL.com, which only served to exacerbate the injury. Steven Nelson came in at number 67 on the list, and Kevin Dotson was listed as the 53rd best free agent available. Though Khan assembled a strong enough team to qualify for the AFC playoffs, none of the 15 real free agents wearing black and gold were on his team.

Did Jacoby Brissett compensate anyone for their work? Mueller questioned in disbelief. It appears that many believe Kevin Dotson will earn $20 million year as a player. Even though he plays interior offensive lineman, he is still a really solid player if he can pass for one of the top eight right guards in the NFL. Once more, where was Brissett? I’m stuck on this. the thirtyth? These were folks he had to have paid off. I can’t believe this. I would rather have Jameis Winston over Jacoby Brissett if you told me right now that my life was in jeopardy and that I didn’t know any better about the teams. It’s not near.

It is difficult to place blame because of the way the Steelers assembled their squad in the latter years of the Kevin Colbert and Jim Tomlin administrations. Dotson is a good illustration. Did Tomlin and the worst offensive coordinator in recent memory, Matt Canada, ruin him by playing him out of position, or did the Steelers miss out when Colbert selected him in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft? It’s a complex subject with no simple solutions, based on the contract that Dotson is about to sign in his free agency to play his position.

The Steelers do not have to respond to it, which is good news. At this point, Tomlin, Khan, and Weidl are deciding how to use the draft and free agency. In 2023, the Steelers parted ways with Colbert and Canada. Suppose, even after eliminating two easy targets, players are still used sparingly or out of position. As the last piece of the puzzle in that case, Tomlin might and should take the brunt of the responsibility. Hopefully, with the new management, the Steelers roster continues to significantly improve.

Fans of the Steelers, what say you? Is it shocking that not even Mason Rudolph can make it to the top of the list of free agents in 2024? Kindly leave a comment below or on my X/Twitter account, @thebubbasq.