The Steelers made it known they were going to release one of their top offensive line players during the 2021 offseason and that is exactly what they did. David DeCastro has been dealing with injuries throughout his career and it seems to have finally caught up to him. They decided to release DeCastro and sign Trai Turner to a one-year, $3 million dollar deal. That would leave them with close to $12.3 million dollars in cap space once Turner's deal hits the books in Pittsburgh.
There is no doubt that the Steeler's offensive line needs ATLEAST two more linemen just in case Trai Turner goes down during the 2021 season. Turner is capable of coming in and replacing DeCastro in regards to talent, but his 2020 season was riddled with injuries. So the Steelers need to show some caution by bringing in some more linemen if they choose to go down that route. I think it would be in the best interest of the organization and Ben Roethlisberger to bring in as much protection as they can during the 2021 offseason.
Bleacher Report recently wrote an article outlining where they believe many of the top free agents on the market will land. They think DE Justin Houston will land in Pittsburgh. Although the Steelers do have Alex Highsmith and TJ Watt they do not have much outside of those two. Granted they do have Quincy Roche, but he could take time to develop... So why not bring in the best pass-rusher who is currently sitting on the market right now?
One of the reasons why Bleacher Report believes it would be a good idea for the Steelers to bring in Houston is because both Alex Highsmith and Justin Houston will be able to compensate for the loss of Bud Dupree over the 2021 offseason. I think Bleacher Report is way too high on Bud Dupree and the reason I say that is because I believe the Steelers system helped set Dupree up for success. Only time will tell if that is the case, but I believe the Titans will regret his contract heading down the road.
Another reason why Bleacher Report feels the Steelers should sign Houston during the offseason is to keep him away from the Baltimore Ravens who brought him in for a visit in April. Pittsburgh does have more cap than the Ravens and could sway his decision to come to Pittsburgh rather than Baltimore...
There is no such thing as having enough pass-rushers with the Steelers organization. They know how to utilize them in a way to make a heavy impact and they should definitely look to add a veteran to help compliment TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith. Melvin Ingram would also be another name for the Steelers to add, but I believe they need to bring in a veteran to help offshore their losses and help give Highsmith and Watt a much-needed boost on the edge. If I was Kevin Colbert I would be on the phone right now with either Justin Houston or Melvin Ingram and seeing which one I could get into Pittsburgh in 2021.