can we stop over paying defense players?

Wouldn't the Steelers have a terrible amount of dead money by making a move like this?

 

Watt $23M
Heyward $22M
Ramsey $19.5 M
Highsmith $18M
Queen $17.6

Honestly, I think we could get by without any of these guys.


Herbig and Sawyer could easily take over at OLB.
Ramsey, Heyward, and Watt ... old.
Queen was overpaid in FA.

 

Unless they can get the other team to pay his full salary. Even so your trading an old player for draft assets and getting younger v

 

Adopt a pay for play process! Go ahead sign players under contracts however based on certain criteria within that contract year by year and game by game is how you will get paid! No more guaranteed money! You play like ****z you get league minimum! You ball out you get max pay per contract! Just thought!

 

They should let Heyward walk after the season not much production from him.

 

Should’ve let him go to Cleveland last year
That was straight out of jacka55es mouth last season

 

One thing they got to do is at least buy Watt some more time to get to the QB. The guys we are facing are getting the ball out super quick. Watt really doesn’t have much time.

That either falls on the defensive line to get enough of a push straight up the middle to get to make the QB shaky or do something in the secondary to make the QB hold onto the ball for a second or two longer.

I guess that is easier said than done…our secondary is always filled with new faces every year…they probably have to keep the coverages vanilla.

Anyone miss Minkah? Say what you want, but he held everything together. I dont remember it being this bad last year. I wasn’t against moving him, but Ramsey isn’t really adding much.

 

Top guys getting old and past their prime coupled with a coordinator who cant make adjustments to save his life.

Also backfield composed of over the hill vets and our regressing top cover guy (jp jr).

The biggest surprise though is Watt. He may be done.

 

Aside from Watt, who was the last guy we drafted on D and developed into an all star? Its been a while.

 

According to PFF, Cam did great last game! and Watt did good. and Slay was decent. lol

https://steelersdepot.com/2025/10/steelers-vs-packers-pff-grades-and-snap-counts/

 

Screw pff. It is not keeping up on his Wiffs and him having to go suck on the oxygen tank like my grandpa.

 

Queen is way over paid. Can't cover.
Heyward was very good, now he's old and can rush the passer.
Ramsey was good, but that was years ago.
Highsmith is way over paid. We can get by without him.
Watt was great, now he is only good.


I pivot in my mind to our 12 draft picks in 2026.