Two days. Three visitors. Three contracts signed. In the Pittsburgh Steelers’ facility.
With the Steelers, yes, Davon House.
Pittsburgh likely wasn’t overly satisfied with how its first week of free agency went, as they failed to bid up high enough for one of the free agent class’s top starting cornerbacks, missed out on the one prized free agent they did bring in, and even managed to let one player they brought in sign with another team while he was there. All they ended up coming away with was a one-year deal for a depth wide receiver.
So the start of their second full week of free agency would of course have to be looked at as an utterly smashing success. They have brought in three players for visits and managed to sign all of them to reasonable contracts. And they will also serve to bolster depth where it is needed while minimizing the focus on those position in the draft.
Including predictable free agency losses, either due to lack of interest on their part or likely interest on the part of other teams, the Steelers were lacking sufficient depth at a number of positions, among them running back, wide receiver, cornerback, and the defensive line.
The Steelers managed to plus holes in each of those positions to help narrow the focus for what comes next, although there is still more work to be done. They may want to add, for example, a more mack-capable inside linebacker at a cheap price before the draft.
In terms of the defensive line, with the addition of Tyson Alualu yesterday, that may well entirely take that area of the team off of the Steelers’ list of draft wants. Of course they wouldn’t pass up a huge value pick, and a late-round nose tackle could be an option.
Justin Hunter’s addition obviously eliminates the need for an extra body there, and provides some sort of insurance against issues with Martavis Bryant. That doesn’t mean they might not draft the top two or three receivers if one of them is available when they pick in the first round.
Meanwhile, Coty Sensabaugh’s inclusion may well take away all be the most unlikely opportunities for the Steelers to double dip at cornerback in the draft, but if there is a value too good to pass up, they will bring them all to camp and let them sort themselves out.
As for the addition of Knile Davis at running back, this assuredly doesn’t take the position off their draft board. What it does is focus the depth chart and their future planning. Davis is likely the new third-string back, with a mid-rounder ideally coming in as the backup.
All of a sudden the roster feels a lot more fleshed out than it did just a few days ago.
