The new league year hasn’t even started yet and the Steelers are already making moves. It was announced recently that they had made three roster moves that saw notable players get cut. This is nothing out of the ordinary in the NFL, but it was kind of shocking how quickly the Steelers handled these situations. On one hand, it does give them a jump start on free agency, but it also shows the urgency to move on.
Pittsburgh let go Mitch Trubisky, Chuks Okorafor, and Pressley Harvin III. Those are three players who had significant roles on the club last season. Both Trubisky and Okorafor were cap casualties after their roles diminished as the season rolled on. Harvin failed to be a competent punter for the black and gold, so his time with the club ran its course.
Nate Herbig might be next up on the Steelers cap casualty list
One name that has not been brought up enough in terms of getting the boot is Nate Herbig. We know that Mike Tomlin loves to collect brothers on his team like baseball cards, but it might not be worth the cost here. The move made sense last offseason when the Steelers signed Herbig in free agency to a short-term deal. They followed that up by signing Isaac Seumalo to start and made Herbig a depth piece.
After the Steeler’s initial moves were completed, the club still needs to shed another three million bucks to get under the cap ceiling. Herbig is a perfect option to get into cap compliance as cutting him would save four million dollars. It is hard to rationalize him making that much money as a depth option on the team.
It looks like the Steelers might draft a center in the upcoming NFL Draft, and that would make Herbig expendable. His four million in savings might be too attractive for the black and gold to pass on. He played ok when called upon this year, but his versatility to fill in at center didn’t work out well. It would be almost careless to bring both Herbig and Mason Cole back.
Allen Robinson II is the obvious choice for the Steelers to cut
A matter of when and not if will be the release of Allen Robinson II. There is no reason to keep him around at his current cap hit. Cutting the veteran receiver would save the Steelers ten million dollars, which would be better used elsewhere. Maybe Robinson used to be that player who deserved that level of cap hit, but he is far from that now.
Father time remains undefeated, and it seems like Robinson is heading towards retirement with each passing day. No doubt that he still has a couple more seasons left in him to play ball, but he will never reach the type of impact player that he was earlier in his career ever again. When you watch him play, you tell instantly that he has lost a step of speed and can’t break away on routes.
Pittsburgh was hoping that the low-risk investment in Robinson would pay off to fill their slot receiver role well. He did a respectable job as a blocker, but he was almost nonexistent in the passing game. That will end up being the main reason why Robinson is a cap casualty by the Steelers. It makes zero sense to keep him around with that ten million in cap relief right there.
Maybe the Steelers could bring him back at a low cost, but one would have to imagine that Robinson would explore options elsewhere when he gets released. Good locker room guy and leader by most accounts, but this money has to be allocated somewhere else. You can take this roster move to the bank as Robinson will be one of the next casualties of the black and gold.
Keanu Neal wouldn’t save a pile of money, but his time is over in Pittsburgh
Omar Khan was a busy man last offseason, and it seems like he might be busier this time around. He made plenty of moves to add starting options and key role players. Some of them worked out well, and others just couldn’t make things happen. For one reason or another some players just don’t fit or can’t find ways of making positive contributions to their team each week.
Keanu Neal had a decent season when he was healthy, but nothing spectacular. His contract numbers are nothing earth-shattering, so the Steelers may run it back with their current group and hope that they can stay healthy. It does seem like some change needs to be made as the lack of quality safety play next to Minkah Fitzpatrick hurt his efforts.
Since Neal and Damontae Kazee missed long periods due to either injury or suspension this year, it caused Fitzpatrick to play different roles. He works best as a ball-hawking player, but he was called upon to cover tight ends more. Injuries piled up quickly both at safety and linebacker this year, so maybe it was a fluke, and the Steelers are willing to look past that.
If Pittsburgh decides to change up the safety room next to Fitzpatrick and cut Neal, they would save a little over two million bucks in the process. That could be used for other areas of the team. The Steelers need to find a more reliable solution at safety and that could make Neal more expendable than someone like Kazee. Expect plenty of changes in the secondary this offseason.
Larry Ogunjobi could be a surprise cap casualty by the black and gold
One of the possible options that would be somewhat of a shocker as a cap casualty could be Larry Ogunjobi. You can make an argument to either keep him or let him go this offseason and many would agree with you. The uncertainty in the defensive trenches for Pittsburgh is worrisome. Getting younger in that area is something the Steelers should be shooting for.
They took Keeanu Benton in the second round last year, and they should look into investing in another high pick again. Maybe a first-round selection would be best used in the trenches, no matter if that is on the offensive or defensive side of the ball. Benton had a strong showing while Cam Heyward struggled with an injury all year and Ogunjobi went missing.
After signing a contract extension with the Steelers last offseason, Ogunjobi fell off some. He went missing for a couple of months and didn’t register any stats of significance. He also continues to deal with an injury that keeps him out of practice from time to time. Keeping Ogunjobi would mean the Steelers will probably enter next season with the same cast of characters up front.
Cutting someone like Ogunjobi would be a shocker, but it would also show that Pittsburgh is going to invest heavily in the defensive line this offseason. Either in free agency or more likely the draft, the Steelers need to find younger talent to take over for an aging core. Heyward will be back at a different cap hit, but cutting Ogunjobi would save the Steelers over six million dollars that they could spend elsewhere.
Mason Cole could continue the trend on fixing past mistakes
As mentioned earlier in the article, it would be almost foolish to bring both Cole and Herbig back next season. If the Steelers cut both players, then it would save them a little under nine million bucks in cap savings. That is significant and something the black and gold shouldn’t look past. Those savings would allow them to get active in free agency and upgrade their roster. Maybe both Cole and Herbig could get cut.
Cole is someone who might be more likely to stick around rather than Herbig. He has a lot more starting experience and has the position flexibility that Herbig also brings with his game. With Tomlin and Khan showing that they are interested in centers early in the pre-draft process, it looks like Cole’s starting days could be numbered.
It does make sense to keep him around for another year to provide starting insurance in case the draft doesn’t fall your way and you can’t invest in a center early on. That way, if they fail to get an upgrade this offseason then they at least have a fallback option. Whereas if they cut Cole soon, they are committed to possibly signing a free agent and drafting at the position in the coming months.
Cole is less likely on this list than some others in this article, but it makes sense for him to worry about his job security. Cutting him would save the black and gold over four and a half million bucks. His poor play last season would surely bring that conversation to light. His experience and versatility might save him, but his cap savings are hard to look past.
