Will the Steelers really have stiff competition for James Pierre in free agency?<\/p>\n
According to one NFL insider, Steelers CB James Pierre will have \u201c8 to 9\u201d teams interested in him in free agency. Previously always a backup with a special teams role, he took his game to another level this past season. But will teams view him as a full-time starter now, and at what price point?<\/p>\n
Originally signed in college free agency in 2020, James Pierre presented the Steelers an intriguing prospect. They hoped to develop him, but he struggled in limited opportunities defensively. It really wasn\u2019t until last season that he put together consistent snaps outside of special teams.<\/p>\n
But is one season enough for teams to start outbidding the Steelers for James Pierre in free agency? Nobody ever wanted him before now, though his case would not be unique. Every so often there is a late bloomer who finally has it all click and teams recognize him as a starter. I don\u2019t know that Pierre is there, however.<\/p>\n
While Pierre may reportedly have a quarter of the league interested in him, however, that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re all looking to throw money at him. He did put himself on the radar, but how will teams actually view him? Certainly not as a top-20 cornerback in the NFL, nor with a salary that reflects it.<\/p>\n
But it still leaves open the question of at what price point the Steelers should be willing to bring James Pierre back in free agency. If another team is willing to overpay for him, could Pittsburgh match the offer? What if a team wants to pay him $10 million per year or something like that, should they simply walk?<\/p>\n
Last season, James Pierre played 376 defensive snaps, which wasn\u2019t even a career high. He did produce 11 passes defensed, which matched his career total in his first four seasons combined. While he only intercepted one pass, he had a good shot at a few others. But how would he hold up playing 1,100 snaps per season, down in and down out? Last season, he only played 85 percent of the snaps or more in three games. How much money should teams be willing to throw at a player like that in free agency?<\/p>\n
The Steelers exited the playoffs in the first round yet again, a pattern going back to 2017. With seven consecutive postseason losses<\/a>, and no wins in nearly a decade, they are facing another long, long offseason. No doubt we will see many changes, but none will top Mike Tomlin resigning.<\/p>\n