Steelers Fans Just Got CONCERNING News On Darius Slay + SIGN Asante Samuel Jr. Or Chase Claypool?

Steelers Fans Just Got CONCERNING News On Darius Slay + SIGN Asante Samuel Jr. Or Chase Claypool?

[Music] Welcome in to Steelers Talk. I’m your host, Jack Sperry. Today on the show, first up, an Eagles insider shared a concerning report on the knee health of new quarterback for the Steelers, Darius Slay. Then we’ll go into Asante Samuel Jr., probably the top free agent corner that’s still available on the open market. Could the Pittsburgh Steelers still be in play to get him before the start of the season? And then we’ll finish up today’s show with Chase Clayool announcing he is making his return to the National Football League. Should the Steelers consider a reunion with their former wide receiver. I’ll give you my answer to that at the end of today’s show. So, make sure you guys stick around. But before we get into the content today, you guys know who this is. This is Trader Joey, our Baltimore Ravens host here at Chat Sports. and his channel Ravens Rundown just had their channel record 92 new subscribers on their video from yesterday and he has challenged us here at Steelers Talk yet again to a subscriber battle. We need to beat 92 new subscribers on today’s show in order to win. So if you want to help us beat the Baltimore Ravens today, guys, and you haven’t clicked that subscribe button yet, make sure you do that for me right now. New viewers, we are counting on you guys. the real ones that are already subscribed can’t help us out here. It’s got to be new subscribers. So, click that subscribe button if you haven’t already for daily and free Steelers content every single day and help us beat the Ravens. All right, so we’ll start our top story today. Adam Kaplan, uh Philadelphia Eagles insider for the Eagles, uh you know, SiriusXM host, does a bunch of different things, has contributed to ESPN, Fox Sports, etc. Uh very reputable guy. says that this that the that the Eagles cut Darius Slay this off season because they are worried about uh Darius Slay’s knee that he apparently had arthoscopic surgery on at the end of the 2023 season and says it’s a quote unquote concern and that the Steelers know that it’s a concern heading into 2025. Kaplan says this, “No offense to Darius Slay. He got cut by the Eagles, but he did look good late last season. As I’m told, one of his knees is a concern. He actually had arthoscopic surgery on it late in 2023. You have to wonder how well he can run. And the Eagles learned this with James with James Bradberry who they cut who signed a big contract two years ago. You never know when a guy is going to lose it and they could lose it in an instant. The Steelers know this. So listen man, the Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t been able to get the number two quarterback spot right. and they’ve done a pretty poor job at acquiring veteran quarterback talent over the last two years. It’s one of the things that I would actually criticize uh Steelers GM Omar Khan for doing in his time during uh his tenure as the Steelers GM is he just hasn’t done a good job adding free agent uh and and and trade veteran quarterback talent over the last two seasons. He brings in Patrick Peterson who had a PFF grade of 58.9. Certainly not a great season for him in 2023, especially at outside corner. completely lost his legs, had to move him pretty much to safety by the end of the year. And then in 2024, he trades for Dante Jackson in that Deontay Johnson deal. He had a PFF grade of less than 50. And then same thing goes for Cam Sutton, who they brought in in free agency with a 49.5 PFF grade as well. So recent history here for the Pittsburgh Steelers bringing in these veteran type of quarterbacks has not been fantastic. So this gets you a little bit worried here, especially with the recent history here in Pittsburgh. But hopefully Slay ends up being more like a Joe Hayden type of sighting. Joe came in here when he was a little bit older. Spent multiple seasons here in Pittsburgh as a very quality starting corner in the National Football League for this defense. And he was a big-time cornerstone in the secondary for this football team during his tenure here in the Steel City. So hopefully Darius Slay is more like Joe Hayden and not Patrick Peterson. Slay is coming in here. Uh he’s already announced it’s going to be his final year in the National Football League. He’s age he’s 30. He’s going to be 35 uh years old here um later this year and during the season. Uh he’s 190 lbs. Brings good size to the table. He’s got really great length. Uh you know, he used to play with Terrell Austin back in his Detroit days as well. And his pro football focus grade last year was actually pretty decent, guys. He was a top 25 corner in the game for the Philadelphia Eagles last year. And uh you know, when you watch Slay on film, you still see that he is still a good corner. He hasn’t lost his speed, at least not yet. That could certainly happen this year with him turning 35 years old and him having that surgery on his knee two years ago. That is certainly a concern and it is a possibility. Darius Slay just completely falls off a cliff for the Steelers defense this year. But at least in terms of how he played last year, he actually played quite well and of course he helped that uh Eagles defense be arguably the best in football in 2024. And if he does stink and the Steelers are kind of forced to not play him or if he ends up getting injured and he like tears his ACL or something like that, I think the backup plans at outside corner for the Steelers or Jaylen Ramsey. I think this is part of the reason why the Steelers brought in Ramsay because if JPJ or Darius Slay, god forbid, go down with injuries, Ramsay is more than good enough to still play on the outside. Uh and then Cory Trice Jr., somebody that they spent a seventh round pick on a couple years back. Really athletically gifted uh individual. He showed some good stuff as a dime backer last year for the Steelers, but he just hasn’t been able to stay healthy. If Slay uh starts to Wayne and Cory Trice Jr.’s looking really good in practices, if he makes some splash plays as a dime backer this year, I could certainly see him getting an opportunity uh to be the CB2 of the future if Darius Slay doesn’t have a great season. Or another possibility here for the Pittsburgh Steelers is that they could pursue Asante Samuel Jr. who is still a free agent. Now, Asante announced a couple of months ago that he was going to make his decision as to which team he was going to sign with in July. Well, now we’re in July. In fact, uh it’s July 9th, so I think that we are going to get a decision from Asante here. Pretty uh pretty close. And he is 26 years old, still very young player. He’s a little bit undersized at 180 lbs for an outside corner. Uh but he’s pretty darn good in off coverage on the outside. Plus, he can play in the slot. Very versatile player. And of course, he comes from an NFL pedigree. and he is coming uh back from a major neck injury. So, it’ll be interesting to see what his market looks like in terms of the money that he is going to get this year in NFL free agency before the start of the season. And Asante’s dad, Asante Samuels, Senior, longtime NFL player in the secondary as well, uh has been quite busy lately. he talk, you know, giving his take on the modern day NFL and he commented on the Jaylen Ramsay trade and he was very complimentary of the Steelers defense and this move that the Steelers were able to pull off. This is what Asante had to say. If the Steelers’ defense was ranked 12th in total defense last year with almost no production from Minka Fitzpatrick, I know and I guarantee Jaylen Ramsay will make this defense a better defense. And I agree with uh Samuel Senior here. I do think that Ramsay is going to be a more valuable player for this defense than Minka Fitzpatrick was last year. Uh, and something that the Steelers could consider doing, especially if that family and, you know, Asante himself wants to come play for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is that he could play slot corner for this team and you could just make Jaylen Ramsay your full-time starting strong safety. It could looks like this here. Your two outside corners are Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay. You have Asante Samuel Jr. who’s a really good slot corner by the way in the nickel. You got Deshun Elliott who was your strong safety last year but he can play free safety has the athleticism to do that and then Jaylen Ramsey can be your strong safety type. Uh you know this would be a very fun secondary for the Pittsburgh Steelers if they wanted to go in that direction. However, I would be surprised if the Steelers go in that direction and make Jaylen Ramsey a safety fulltime in this defense. Okay, and and going out and getting Asante Samuel. Part of the reason for that, guys, is Samuel’s going to be pretty darn expensive, I think. All right. Like, teams, you know, generally feel pretty darn good about him. We’ll see, you know, how the neck injury kind of uh affects his value, but right now, Spre’s protect projected value for him on the open market is 11.4 million per season. Now, because it’s a later offseason edition, it’s probably not going to get into that 10 plus million range, but the Steelers right now have an estimated uh cap number of cap space here heading into the 2025 season of $18.6 million. That’s not an exact figure because we don’t exactly know the full details of the Jaylen Ramsey and John Smith deals as of right now. Uh but over the cap right now projects the Steelers have about $18.6 million. But at the end of the day, and the reason why I think that the Steelers won’t bring on Asante Samuel Jr., guys, is because I think they’re excited about Jaylen Ramsay playing in the nickel. We’ve been talking about this on the show since the trade went down. Ramsay from the nickel obviously is a great physical uh coverage player that can roam in the middle of the defense, read the eyes of the quarterback, be a ball hawk, but also be a big long physical presence as a blitzing corner from the slot. uh you know, kind of a souped-up version of the slot quarterback role that Mike Hilton played here in Pittsburgh during 2017 through 2020. So, be the GM for me down there in the comments section. Would you sign Asante Samuel Jr. to a one-year $10 million deal? Would that be something that you would be interested in? Let me know what you guys think down there in the comments section for today’s pin question. Type S for sign or P for pass. YouTube’s going to throw you an ad break here in just a couple of seconds. And when that happens, take advantage of that time by letting me know if you would bring in a Sante Samuel Jr. on a one-year, $10 million deal. Now, before we get into the rest of today’s show, guys, I want to give you guys a fantastic deal on an awesome Pittsburgh Steelers sweatshirt that you guys can wear during the colder months during the season this year. It’s al also 50% off from our friends at Fanatics Today when you use our link, chatports.com/pit hoodie. That link is down in the comments and description of today’s show. If you use that link and you make a purchase for a 50% off Steelers hoodie, uh, then we get part of the proceeds here at Steelers Talk. So, it helps out the channel. Uh, it also helps yourself out. You’re getting an awesome Steelers hoodie for 50% off. All you have to do is go to chatports.com/pith hoodie and make a purchase today. I greatly appreciate all of your guys’ support. Now, our final topic today, Chase Clayool is back in the rumor mill for the Pittsburgh Steelers here as he has now announced that he intends to return to the National Football League this year after uh an in a toe injury ended his season last year with the Buffalo Bills. This is what he said on his Instagram on the 4th of July. Signing with Buffalo last year was the best thing that I could have ever could have ever happened to me. I was the strongest, fastest, and most prepared I had ever been. I was playing my best football, working my way up from last 14th string to taking first team reps by camp. Most of all, I was doing it with a group of guys I truly appreciated. I tore a ligament and and a tendon in my second toe and have been rehabbing, working out, and recovering every day for the past year. I am back to being the strongest and fastest I’ve ever been and couldn’t be more excited to step back out on the field and let my actions speak for themselves. So, in terms of Clayool and whether or not the Pittsburgh Steelers should bring him back, of course, he showed some decent production in the first two years of his career here in Pittsburgh, had over 800 yards in both of those seasons. Had a really high average there of over 14 yards per catch and had nine touchdowns his rookie season back in 2020 with Big Ben Rothllessberger throwing him the football. But 2022, he split time here between Pittsburgh and Chicago where he was dealt at the trade deadline famously for that second round pick that ended up turning into Joey Porter Jr. And then 2023, the last time he’s played in an NFL regular season game with the Miami Dolphins, uh he only had eight catches for 77 yards. Okay, so just not a very productive player over the last two seasons that he has been in the National Football League. And of course, last year he didn’t play at all. All right, so for me, guys, I know that a lot of people want to add a wide receiver to this wide receiver room, guys, but there is no way I am bringing back Chase Clayool to be a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into the 2025 season. I think there’s better options out there than Clayool on the free agency market and also on the trade market. Uh right now I think some more realistic wide receiver trade trade and free agency targets. Gabe Davis and Amari Cooper are kind of the two bigger free agency names that could still be possibilities. Gabe Davis especially. Apparently Davis is still very interested in signing with the Steelers. Keenan Allen, he did say that he wasn’t too fond of the city of Pittsburgh and probably wouldn’t want to play here. Uh but you know if nobody else comes calling, would he accept a contract from the Steelers? That’s certainly a possibility. And then Romeo Dobs and Dantavian Wixs, uh the Steelers have made calls about their availability. But I would say right now, more than likely, the Green Bay Packers are going to hang on to both of those wide receivers heading into the 2025 season. So most likely if they sign a receiver, it’s probably going to be Gabe Davis would be my guess. Even though I’m not the biggest fan of Davis, he drops a lot of footballs. Not a great route runner, not a great contested catch guy for a big guy. But with that said, I’m just not sure that the Pittsburgh Steelers are even going to add another wide receiver. They’re going to be playing in 12 and 13 personnel packages so often this year, guys, that I just don’t think that they feel like they necessarily need to add another wide receiver. DK Metaf’s going to be your every down wide receiver one. Uh he’s pretty much the size of a tight end, so he’s going to be able to run block. He’s going to be able to run after the catch. Runs like a deer. He’s he’s phenomenal, man, with with with with the AJ Brown type of role that he’s going to be playing in this Arthur Smith system. Calvin Austin the third as a wide receiver, too. He’s only going to be coming in, guys, on more pass heavy downs. So, his smaller stature and his lack of run blocking, I think, you know, is workable here. And then Roman Wilson, uh, kind of the smaller slot wide receiver. Then Jonnu Smith, I think, is going to be pretty much a quote unquote big slot wide receiver in this Steelers offense. I think the Steelers feel like this is something that they can work with heading into the NFL season. I think Calvin, Roman, and Janu are all very underrated weapons that the Steelers have in this group. And then the way that the tight end distribution is going to work out, and they will run a lot of 13 personnel this year, guys. Janu Smith’s going to be that yak threat, that screen threat underneath, that type of stuff. You know, you want to get him the ball uh in in his hands in space, and then you want him to uh really do some great stuff after the catch with his athleticism. Pat Fmouth is more of your possession type of receiving tight end and then you got Darnell Washington as your true blocking tight end. So, I really like how these guys complement each other with their skill sets and I think you’re going to see two and three tight end sets from the Pittsburgh Steelers offense more than any other unit in the National Football League this year. So, predict it for me down there in the comments section. Will the Pittsburgh Steelers add another receiver before the season? If so, which one? I just don’t think it’s going to be Chase Clayool. team shipped him out for a reason and he hasn’t been good since he left Pittsburgh. So, let me know what you guys think down there in the comments section. And that will conclude today’s edition of Steelers News and Rumors. Tomorrow, Coupe and I are back live on Steelers Talk Live starting at 5:00 p. p.m. Eastern time. Don’t forget to click that subscribe button to help us beat the Ravens rundown on today’s show. Thank you guys so much for stopping by today and until next time, guys. Here we go. Steelers. [Music]

Steelers fans just got concerning news about veteran cornerback Darius Slay, as NFL insider Adam Caplan reports a lingering knee issue that could impact his performance in 2025. On today’s Steelers Talk with Jack Sperry, we dive into what this means for Pittsburgh’s secondary and whether signing Asante Samuel Jr. in free agency is still a viable option. Plus, former Steelers wideout Chase Claypool announces his NFL comeback—raising questions about a possible reunion with Pittsburgh. Sperry also breaks down realistic wide receiver targets and how the Steelers can build a dominant defense around Joey Porter Jr., and Jalen Ramsey. Subscribe now for nonstop Pittsburgh Steelers news, rumors, and analysis every single day!

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NFL Insider Adam Caplan On Darius Slay:
“No offense to Darius Slay, he got cut by the Eagles, but he did look good late last season. As I’m told, one of his knees is a concern. He actually had arthroscopic surgery on it late in 2023…You have to wonder how well he can run. And the Eagles learned this with James Bradbury, who they cut, who signed a big contract two years ago. You never know when a guy’s going to lose it, and they could lose it in an instant. The Steelers know this.”

Pittsburgh Steelers’ Recent Veteran CB Additions:
– 2023: Patrick Peterson | PFF GRADE: 58.9
– 2024: Donte Jackson | PFF GRADE: 49.4
– 2024: Cam Sutton | PFF GRADE: 49.5

Here’s some more Steelers YouTube segments for you to check out if you’re looking for more insight on the Black & Gold:
– You Will NOT Believe What Colin Cowherd Just Said About The Pittsburgh Steelers… https://youtu.be/I5KWWbSqGfU
– Steelers News: Why TJ Watt Hasn’t Agreed To A Contract Extension Yet + Why I’m Still Not Worried https://youtu.be/ZAg7i9xxNXI
– Why The Pittsburgh Steelers Could WIN The AFC North This Year OVER The Ravens & Bengals This Season https://youtu.be/apmF1qklXsU

We want to hear from you, Steelers Nation! Answer today’s Steelers questions down in the comments section:
– Would you sign Asante Samuel Jr. to a 1-year, $10 MM contract?
Type ‘S’ for Sign, Type ‘P’ for Pass
– Will PIT add another WR before the season? If so, which one?

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Steelers Potential Secondary:
– OCB: Joey Porter Jr.
– OCB: Darius Slay
– NCB: Asante Samuel Jr.
– FS: DeShon Elliott
– SS: Jalen Ramsey

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Pittsburgh Steelers’ Realistic WR Targets:
– Gabe Davis (FA | Age: 26)
– Amari Cooper (FA | Age: 31)
– Keenan Allen (FA | Age: 33)
– Romeo Doubs (GB | Age: 25)
– Dontayvion Wicks (GB | Age: 24)

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