The NFL’s salary cap may force the Steelers into a rebuild

The nationwide media has been raining doom and gloom over the Steelers franchise ever since Normal Manger Kevin Colbert was seemingly non-committal on his future corridor of fame quarterback. However when you think about the opportunity of a lowered wage cap, and 24 free brokers, you’ll be able to perceive why this example might get sticky. As we sit right here right this moment the Steelers have large holes at operating again, deal with, middle, tight finish, depth receivers, depth cross rushers, and nickel nook. If the Steelers are compelled into making extra strikes to achieve the wage cap ground you might add the positions of quarterback, cornerback, linebacker, and guard to this record.

Doom and gloom certainly.

The 2021 common season opponents supply the Steelers no favors both. The staff performs a primary place schedule whereas additionally going through the NFC North, who the Steelers traditionally wrestle in opposition to. Together with the NFC North, additionally they are paired with the AFC West, who the Steelers traditionally have had points with. Issue within the most definitely opponent for the proposed seventeenth recreation being the Seattle Seahawks and also you’re presumably the hardest schedule within the league. On high of all that, they need to do all this with a considerably weakened roster.

Now is perhaps the unlucky time to tear the band-aid off and transfer on from a few of these getting old gamers. If the Steelers are destined to complete 6-10 (or 6-11) they may as an alternative velocity up a rebuilding course of by not pushing any extra money into the longer term and simply transferring on from older gamers on the finish of their present offers. By chopping these gamers the Steelers might afford to convey again a few of their youthful free brokers whereas additionally giving themselves extra cash which may roll over into 2022.

The next record of gamers are within the closing yr of their offers and may very well be lower within the occasion of the tear down.

Ben Roethlisberger — $19,000,000 cap financial savings
Joe Haden — $7,000,000 cap financial savings
Vince Williams — $4,000,000 cap financial savings
Eric Ebron — $6,000,000 cap financial savings
Steven Nelson — $8,250,000 cap financial savings
*David DeCastro (commerce worth) — $8,750,000 cap financial savings

Transferring on from these six gamers would save the Steelers a further $53,000,000. Add that to the $13,200,000 saved from the retirements of Vance McDonald and Maurkice Pouncey and the $5,000,000 from 2020 cap carry over, and the Steelers would discover themselves with solely $144,559,260 in opposition to the wage cap. Almost $35,000,000 below the bottom attainable cap determine of $180,000,000. This cash may very well be used to convey again a number of of their key free brokers like Bud Dupree, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Cam Sutton, and Mike Hilton amongst others.

However, on this situation the Rooney household must eat a ton of useless cap house. Which can make them inclined to not spend a lot of the newly discovered {dollars}. As an alternative saving this cash for the 2022 season. A yr the place the cap might balloon by $40,000,000 and the Steelers already sit amongst the league leaders in wage house.

Taking a intestine punch in 2021 seems inevitable, so the Steelers might simply settle for their destiny and push out the previous guard. With it will come among the highest draft positioning the staff has had in many years, and with it the potential of discovering a quarterback.

For years we, as Steelers followers, have solely identified this group as one which by no means rebuilds, however a staff that retools and continues to compete for championships. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic may simply drive the Steelers into a real rebuild. The trick is to get out of it as quickly as attainable.

What do you suppose? If the Steelers are compelled to chop ties with Ben Roethlisberger ought to additionally they transfer on from different getting old stars on expiring offers? Tell us your ideas within the feedback under.