We are now almost one full week into the 2018 free agent signing period and the transactions have started to slow down considerably. With that said, several big names remain on the open market as do all but one of the Pittsburgh Steelers unrestricted free agents. One of those currently unsigned Steelers unrestricted free agents is outside linebacker Arthur Moats and according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, the door is open for him to possibly re-sign with the Steelers later in the offseason.
Fowler reports that Moats will continue to test the market for now, however, and that the Atlanta Falcons have already expressed some level of interest in the 30-year-old outside linebacker.
Last season, Moats registered 8 total tackles, which was a single-season low for him. He also failed to register a sack in the 83 total defensive snaps that he played. Moats also played 96 special teams snaps for the Steelers last season.
On the surface, Moats is most likely to sign a one-year contract for the veteran league minimum later this offseason if he ultimately signs a deal. A return to the Steelers would certainly require such a deal and right now that’s far from guaranteed to happen. A lot of teams, including the Steelers might wait until well after the draft to sign backup unrestricted free agents such as Moats.
Moats signed originally with the Steelers in 2014 as an unrestricted free agent after playing his first four seasons in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills. The James Madison product and former 2010 sixth-round draft pick registered 54 total regular season tackles, 11.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and five defensed passes in the 62 regular season games he’s played in since arriving in Pittsburgh.
