The official 2025 NFL Free Agency thread

This is where I'm starting to lean as well, and for the same reasons. I like Khan, but he seems more of a numbers guy; obviously why he was in charge of the cap prior to his promotion to GM. But Weidl was brought in as assistant GM specifically to bring the scouting and talent evaluation aspects to the room. Some of Khan's moves signal his background and strengths - he was nimble last year in bringing in both Wilson and Fields; as you mention, the Metcalf move; the Claypool trade - but others hint at his shortcomings, like dealings with the Aiyuk/WR2 situation last year and his approach to this year's free agency. He seems to get too focused on the 'art of the deal' (sorry) and less on the individual talent at times.

 

With FA, the Steelers go into negotiations with a number they are willing to pay. Traditionally they do not go beyond that number. Especially in the first month of FA teams tend to overpay or get into bidding wars over top FAs driving prices up for 2nd tier guys. We don't overpay for guys so we don't usually sign top or even 2nd tier FAs. We never have. We will either get our guys at the price pre-determined or we let them sign with other teams.


This is how the Steelers have done the offseason for as long as I can remember. I started watching late 70s but didn't start looking at offseason moves and drafts until the 90s. So, a minimum of 30 years it's been this way.


If Fields would have signed for $20M guaranteed, we would already have our QB. Also probably would not have brought back MR. I'm very much interested in trade talks for Joe Milton from the Patriots. If we draft a QB that's fine. If we just roll with MR that's fine. If we make another trade or sign one of the over the hill gang, that's fine too. The Steelers will continue to do business the same way they have for the last 30+years.

 

What would you rather have 20 mill or 30 mill guaranteed??

 

Obviously $30M is the correct answer.

If you use the entire context of my post you would see it was an example of the previous paragraph.


Curious though, do you see Fields as a top FA, 2nd tier, or as a filler until something better comes along? Obviously the Steelers didn't see him worth $30M guaranteed. But we would have given him $20M. I would say the Steelers see him as 2nd tier.

 

He still should be given more opportunities to use his size advantage in the redzone.

 

Prob a 2nd tier, but i would take him over anyone else out there. They cant pay him 30 mill for2 years but are willing to pay A WR who has had 2-3 1000 yrd seasons in 6 years? Thats crazy.. That being said, i think MR will be fine and we will finish 9-8 , 10 -7 again or higher... spend the rest of the $$ on players they really need

 

They took a WR with their second

They just took it early

 

This is similar to what I've been saying since he passed on Harris's fifth-year option. It's as if everything has to be a bargain or he doesn't want it. Every move has to be great instead of just good. Playing that way ends up getting you nothing, which is very close to what they've gotten in free agency.

 

Yeah, I know you've been on him for that. I gave a little more leash at first, but this FA period has me leaning a little further in that direction. There's an art to roster construction. Khan has the more concrete elements of that down, but there's a side of talent acquisition that traipses into some gray areas that he seems to struggle with.

He seems to know good talent in general and how to stamp a figure on it, but it's the times he has to stray from the usual metrics that he seems apprehensive.

 

Colin "Coward" loves us I do agree with our late season swoons.

But when it comes to his recent 2025 NFL standings prediction, Cowherd isn't reaching. He has the Pittsburgh Steelers finishing third in the AFC North behind the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals.

Whether or not Aaron Rodgers goes to Pittsburgh or not, they are tone-deaf offensively and over the last five years, they just consistently get bad late in the year.

 

I remember seeing a blurb after this year's late season collapse that said the Steelers had lost at least three games in a row post-Thanksgiving in five of the last seven years.

 

Cooper Rush ... I didn't know that he was available. I would've picked him up before Mason.

 

Yeah, they need to double dip at DL in the draft.

 

Bengals re-signed Chase and Higgings.

Chase is getting $161 million for 4 years. My god. 40+ mil per year.

Higgins is getting $115 million for 4 years. 28 mil per year.

 

Where in the blue hell are the Bengals getting all that money from (rhetorical question)? I guess their defense will be among the inexpensive defenses in the league.

 

It's crazy, between Burrow and their two starting WR's, that's damn near half the salary cap.

 

I have a feeling the Steelers are going to grab a QB this draft, and I'm not super happy about it. Just wait a year when the gettin' is good. Maybe we'll luck out and Dart, who seems to be our main target, balls out. It sounds like one year of Rudolph, Rodgers, Wilson, Flacco, etc. will be a bridge for a young QB.

 

I sure hope that wr wilson turn out to be something because now they're signing scotty miller back.

 

Tales of the Weird-
Artie Burns signed today with the Miami Dolphins on a one year contract. We hated the pick, but he's been in the league for 9 years now. All three CBs taken ahead of him, Vernon Hargreaves III, Eli Apple, and William Jackson III, are out of the league, and believe it or not had worse careers than Artie.
Three taken after him- Xavien Howard, MacKenzie Alexander, and Kendall Fuller, had better careers.

 

Nine years already? Where does the time go?

 

Fun fact, Artie Burns has "world class" speed. It must be true cause every talking head on earth said it. Their proof was his 4.46 at the combine.

His 31.5 vert(5th percentile) also proved his explosive nature.

Seriously though, good for him sticking it out. He should be set up for life.

 

Is that good or bad?

Their eval seems influenced more by style than substance. They like the Metcalf and Slay moves (which I think were fine) but gloss over the lack of a QB1 (which could affect Metcalf's impact), and seem to assume Slay will continue channeling his inner Darrell Green. They also lean on the defense to be the safety net, but they served in that role last year and were gassed coming down the stretch - and it hasn't get any younger (yet). With respect to the running game I have high hopes for Warren, but we haven't seen him in action as the RB1 for an extended period and Gainwell isn't a guy I feel great about spelling him for an appreciable amount of time.

The caveat here is that my gripes are purely focused on the Steelers. I haven't had time to evaluate how other teams have done. The other caveat is I'm playing armchair GM and didn't even stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

 

$17.1M over the years