The Steelers have some moves to make to get compliant with the 2020 NFL salary cap.
The first of those moves to get under the cap came Monday morning. After announcing they had placed the franchise tag on outside linebacker Bud Dupree, the team released fellow outside linebacker Anthony Chickillo, receiver Johnny Holton and inside linebacker Mark Barron.
The moves saves the team $11.1 million against their 2020 cap.
According to a source, the Steelers also are shopping starting left guard Ramon Foster to other teams. If they do not find a trade partner, Foster is likely to be released before the new league year begins on Wednesday.
That move would save the Steelers $4 million in cap space. Foster, 34, signed a two-year $8.25-million contract with the Steelers in 2019.
His play dipped last season, but in an offensive line-starved league, he could draw interest in a team that looks at him as a relatively cheap, veteran plug-and-play guard with 10-plus years of starting experience. Any team that would trade for Foster would only pay his base salary of $4 million.
Update: Foster announces his retirement Monday afternoon on Instagram
The releases of Chickillo, Barron and Hilton are the first moves expected to be made as the Steelers clear enough cap space to keep Dupree at the estimated $15,89 franchise cap level while getting below the league's $198.2-million salary cap. Teams must be cap compliant by 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Chickillo, a sixth-round draft pick in 2015, has primarily been a backup and special teams player for the Steelers. He was an unrestricted free agent in 2019, but the team re-signed him to a two-year, $8-million contract to stay in Pittsburgh as the team's primary backup to Dupree and T.J. Watt. By releasing Chickillo, the Steelers save $5 million in cap space.
Chickillo was temporarily placed on the Commissioner's Exempt List last season while the league investigated a domestic incident between he and his then-girlfriend that took place in Fayette County. Charges in the incident were dismissed and Chickillo was reinstated by the NFL.
He has appeared in 65 career games, recording 7.5 sacks.
With Chickillo gone, the Steelers will turn to former undrafted players Ola Adeniyi and Tuzar Skipper as the primary backups to Dupree and Watt. Or, it could draft another outside linebacker later this year or sign one in free agency.
Barron was signed by the Steelers to a two-year, $12-million deal that included a $5.25-million signing bonus. He appeared in 15 games last season, starting nine, making 82 tackles, three sacks, three passes defenses and an interception.
A former first-round draft pick of the Buccaneers, Barron joined the Steelers after being released by the Rams. He was signed to help the Steelers get better in coverage, but the team then moved up in the draft to acquire inside linebacker Devin Bush.
His release saves the Steelers $5.25 million against the cap.
Holton surprisingly made the Steelers' roster in training camp after a strong preseason last year. But he added little as a wide receiver during the season, becoming more of a special teams ace.
The veteran had three receptions for 21 yards and returned three kickoffs for 55 yards in 16 games (3 starts) in 2019. He had eight tackles on special teams.
His release saves the Steelers $825,000 in cap space.
