With the NFL Draft now in the books and every team having had a look at their rookie classes, we've seen some movement in the veteran free agent market this week.
That will now continue right on through to the start of training camps in late July and early August as teams sift through the bargains and fill roster holes that creep up due to injuries or just plain ineffectiveness.
The Steelers, according to the latest NFLPA salary report, have just over $12 million available in cap space. That is with half of their rookie draft class signed -- though No. 1 pick Kenny Pickett will eat into that for sure.
The Steelers also would like to take enough money into the regular season to make at least 10 roster moves, which means they'll need between $5 and $6 million given the increases in base salaries from the new CBA.
That means they have at least a little bit of mad money if they want to make an addition or two. And the beauty of adding players now is that they don't count in the compensatory pick formula. The Steelers aren't going to get any compensatory picks this year given the number of players they signed, but anyone signed now also would not factor into the player's former team's formula, either.
And there are some interesting options still available.
Here are my top-10:
10. Riley Reiff, OT, Bengals: Reiff has started games at both left and right tackle in his career. He started 12 games at right tackle for the Bengals in 2021 before finishing the season on injured reserve with an ankle injury. He's 33 and has 139 career starts under his belt. At worst, he could be an upgrade at swing offensive tackle over Joe Haeg.
9. Alex Okafor, OLB, Chiefs: Just 30, Okafor could provide the Steelers with another veteran edge rusher behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. He also hasn't been a starter since 2019, so unlike Melvin Ingram, he'll be more accepting of a backup role. Okafor has 31.5 career sacks, including a career-high of 8 in 2014. That's been a while, but he does have 4.5 sacks in limited playing time the past two seasons.
8. Justin Jackson, RB, Chargers: Jackson is still just 26 and might not want to be a No. 2. But reality might tell him differently. But he's averaged 5.0 yards per carry in his career on 206 career carries. He also has 65 career receptions in four seasons for over 500 yards and has 15 career special teams tackles.
7. Darrel Williams, RB, Chiefs: Like Jackson, Williams has never been given the reigns as a starter over the course of his career, but has stepped up when called upon in limited doses. He had 912 career yards on 237 carries and 83 receptions for 792 yards. Williams has never really been called on to play special teams much, but he's a bit more of a proven commodity as a running back.
6. Star Lotulelei, DT, Bills: Even if Stephon Tuitt is back, it still might make sense for the Steelers to sign a true nose tackle and rotate Tyson Alualu there and at defensive end. If Tuitt doesn't come back, the Steelers would add another talented defensive lineman to the mix. Lotulelei is 32, but that would make him only the Steelers' third-oldest defensive lineman.
5. Eddie Goldman, DT, Bears: Goldman is still just 28 and has more tread left on his tires. And he and Akiem Hicks (more on him in a moment) made the Bears very difficult to run the ball against. But Goldman is more of a true nose tackle, much like Lotulelei, and would serve a big purpose for a relatively cheap contract.
4. Carlos Hyde, RB, Jaguars: The 31-year-old Hyde has been a 1,000-yard rusher in his career, doing so in 2019. And he's caught as many as 59 passes in a season. There won't be a starting job out there for him. But if the former Ohio State star wants to play in 2022, backing up Najee Harris wouldn't be a bad spot.
3. Ryan Kerrigan, OLB, Eagles: At 33, Kerrigan didn't do much for the Eagles in 2021. But he's one year removed from recording 5.5 sacks as a rotational player for Washington in 2020 with just one start. He's a veteran who knows how to set the edge and get to the quarterback (95.5 career sacks). Adding a veteran such as Kerrigan at this point in his career would make sense.
2. Akiem Hicks, DT, Bears: At 6-foot-4, 324 pounds, Hicks is a mountain of a man. And with 40.5 career sacks, the 32-year-old has shown over the course of his career that he can get to the quarterback. If Tuitt isn't playing this season, this is the player the Steelers could pivot to to shore up the defensive line. Even if he is, Hicks would take some pressure off Tuitt and Cam Heyward to play 90 percent of the snaps.
1. David Johnson, RB, Texans: Johnson has been a star running back in this league. He's been to Pro Bowls and has been named All-Pro. But he's also now 30. Starting jobs won't be there for him. But he's made a lot of money in his career, and mentoring and spelling Harris while pocketing another million dollars might not sound all that bad. He's a talented receiver, as well, and could be useful in that part of the game. Think DeAngelo Williams here.
