The Pittsburgh Steelers have several holes on their roster that need to be filled if the team is looking to seriously compete for a Super Bowl in the next few years. However, there is one big name free agent out there who should not be signed. He will take up valuable financial resources while not bringing the team any closer to championship contention.
The Steelers should avoid signing Ndamukong Suh
Ndamukong Suh is a talented player with a long track record of production and at least something left in the tank. He likely has built a borderline Hall of Fame resume, cashing in a Super Bowl title with the Buccaneers in 2020-2021.
Ndamukong Suh's career resume:
– 5x Pro Bowl
– 3x All-Pro 1st team
– 2x All-Pro 2nd team
– 2010 DROY
– 2010s NFL All-Decade Team
pic.twitter.com/JxNIQfmO2c— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) March 11, 2022
That being said, he would not be an ideal fit with the current needs of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The defensive front seven is one of the strongest units on the Steelers defense. Led by TJ Watt and Cam Hayward, this unit has plenty of talent and it would not be a wise investment of resources to commit more money to adding to one of the greatest strengths of the roster. Rather, the team should look to spend elsewhere, improving the inside linebacker position, adding a blue chip offensive weapon, or adding a shutdown defender in the team’s secondary.
In a salary cap league such as the NFL, it is not as simple as how much money a team is willing to spend. Teams need to take into account that a dollar spent somewhere is a dollar less that could be spent elsewhere on the team. With this in mind, the Steelers need to prioritize the units that need the most attention, and the defensive line is not one of them for the time being.
Ndamukong Suh will likely demand top dollar, and at this stage in his career he likely will not provide a positive return on this investment. The only way that the Steelers should consider adding Suh would be if he is willing to sign a short-term contract below market rate.
An example of an acceptable contract from the Steelers perspective should be somewhere in the range of two-years or less, at a maximum of $7 million per year. Suh would likely provide a positive return on investment within this range, while providing depth on the Steelers defensive line. However, it is highly unlikely that Suh will accept such a contract. If he is looking for anything more expensive than that, whether in terms of salary or years, then the Steelers should walk away. They will certainly be able to use that money in a more effective, efficient and useful manner by plugging holes elsewhere on the roster. Suh also likely would prefer to find himself in a situation where he can have more playing time than what the Steelers will be able to afford giving him.
There is absolutely no doubt that Ndamukong Suh is a talented football player, but in this situation, both Suh and the Steelers would be better off staying away from each other.
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