The Pittsburgh Steelers signed free agent safety Damontae Kazee to a one-year deal Saturday after the conclusion of the 2022 NFL Draft via ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
Free agent safety Damontae Kazee is signing a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, per source. Five-year veteran has 12 career interceptions.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) May 1, 2022
The Steelers didn't pick a single defensive back in the draft and needed an extra one for depth. Kazee provides just that, and he'll likely come cheap. In 2021, he played on a one-year, $1.1 million deal after he suffered a torn Achilles in 2020.
Kazee brings some versatility to the secondary, as he can play corner as well. In five seasons, he's started 49 of 69 games. Kazee spent four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons before playing last season with the Dallas Cowboys. With the Cowboys, Kazee had two interceptions, four pass deflections, and two forced fumbles.
He has some ballhawk capabilities as well, as he's got 12 career interceptions. In 2018, Kazee finished with a league-leading seven interceptions. The San Diego State product adds to the Steelers' safety room of starters Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds, in addition to hybrid defensive back Tre Norwood and core special teamer Miles Killebrew.
The cornerback room includes Justin Layne, Akhello Witherspoon, Arthur Maulet, James Pierre, Levi Wallace, and Cameron Sutton. The Steelers may still sign a CB, but the versatility of Kazee and Norwood may incline them not to. For now, Pittsburgh has to be mostly confident with their DB room heading into the summer.
The Steelers went with an offensive-centric draft strategy, so signing a veteran like Kazee this late into the offseason is a key depth move. After 15 starts in 2021, Kazee should see the field a little bit in Pittsburgh, particularly in sub-packages.
