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The ' free agent philosophy has evolved since the 1990s. In , former Steelers coach Bill Cowher wrote that back then, the Steelers' philosophy was to replace their outgoing free agents with rookies. This initially led to some down years, but eventually, many of those rookies turned into seasoned veterans who helped Pittsburgh win two championships during the 2000s.While they still prefer homegrown talent over outside help, the Steelers have embraced modern free agency since the start of the new millennium. Linebacker James Farrior, acquired in 2002, is regarded as the best free agent signing in franchise history. Cornerback arrival in 2017 was also significant, as Pittsburgh's pa s defense -- one of the league's worst before his arrival -- has been one of the 's best over the past five years.The Steelers will likely lean on history as they chart out Ugo Amadi Jersey a path for free agency this season. If this was a normal offseason, the Steelers would make subtle moves during the second wave of free agency while largely letting other teams grab the headlines. But this is not a typical offseason, given retirement and the fact that longtime general manager Kevin Colbert is putting the finishing touches on his highly succe sful 22-year run with the team. Colbert is not looking to jeopardize the Steelers' future, but he does want to put the team in the best po sible position to win a seventh Lombardi before handing the reigns to his succe sor.What does this mean for the Steelers' offseason? Look for Pittsburgh to largely stick to its playbook while being somewhat more aggre sive than they usually are this time of year. Unle s, that is, they are able to replace Roethlisberger with another future Hall of Fame quarterback. With that in mind, let's take a look at the five moves Colbert and company should make during free agency, which officially begins on March 16. GB QB #12 We what the Steelers' starting lineup could look like with Rodgers, who reportedly has included the Steelers as one of the teams he is considering if he decides to leave Green Bay (Tenne see and Denver are the other two). While it's still not a perfect roster, adding Rodgers to a team that went 9-7-1 last year is significant, especially when you look at what arrival meant for the (a 7-9 team the year before Brady arrived) and what arrival in Los Angeles meant for the .Surprisingly, there appear to be parts of Pittsburgh's fan base who aren't crazy about the idea of Rodgers joining the team. How much the Steelers would have to give up to acquire him (both draft picks and money) is surely one reason. Another could be the hoopla that comes with Rodgers, who is seemingly always in the news. Regardle s Cassius Marsh Jersey , Rodgers is still playing at an MVP level, and if there is a po sibility that he and the Steelers can join forces, Pittsburgh needs to aggre sively pursue this option.As Colbert always says, winning the is the only standard in Pittsburgh. Rodgers would help the Steelers add to their trophy case. It's as simple as that, and that's why the Steelers need to do everything in their power to acquire him. PIT DT #99 Pittsburgh had the worst run defense in the NFL last season. For Justin Britt Jersey a franchise that prides itself on running the ball and dominating opposing running games, this was obviously a bitter pill for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers' bra s to swallow.There's no promises that will return after mi sing the entire 2021 season for physical and personal reasons. will be back after mi sing most of last year with an injury, but he will be 35 next season and will be going into the final year of his contract. , the leader of Pittsburgh's defensive front, is still playing at an elite level. But Heyward will be 33 before the start of next season.Ogunjobi would be an ideal addition to Pittsburgh's defensive front. Last season, his first in Cincinnati, Ogunjobi had a career-high seven sacks, 12 tackles for lo s and 16 quarterback hits in 16 games. Ogunjobi was forced to watch the majority of the ' playoff run after he suffered a foot injury during Cincinnati's wild card win over Las Vegas. A suming that he is healthy, the 27-year-old would be a big addition to the Steelers' defense. He is also relatively affordable, as there are several other high-profile defensive linemen who may overshadow him on the open market. TB C #66 The Steelers are interested in acquiring Jensen, and for good reason. The soon-to-be 31-year-old center is coming off of his first Pro Bowl selection. In 2020, he helped Brady win his seventh Super Bowl ring. Jensen has been extremely durable, Cortez Kennedy Jersey as he has not mi sed a start since the start of the 2017 season.Jensen's market value is about $30.2 million over three years, . While it would be an investment, the Steelers' line needs an anchor after losing , and the previous offseason. Adding a veteran of Jensen's caliber could do wonders for Pittsburgh's young offensive line.While he enjoyed a succe sful partnership with , it appears that former first-round pick ' time in Pittsburgh is over. The Steelers wouldn't let Edmunds test the market unle s they are confident that they can replace him with someone better. This would suggest that they have an idea of who they'd like to replace him with, as there are several talented strong safeties that will be available in free agency, led by Diggs and Jackson. Both players come with pros and cons. Diggs is younger (29) and was a Pro Bowler during his last two years in Seattle. He is currently working his way back after breaking his fibula during Seattle's final game of the 2021 season (he will reportedly be ready for the start of training camp). Jackson is older (he turns 34 in April), but he is a savvy, accomplished player who seems like a natural fit in Pittsburgh's defense. Jackson will also likely be a cheaper option to Diggs who, despite his injury, is the top-rated strong safety in free agency. Either one would be a good choice. CLE CB #23 Injuries limited Haden to just 11 games last season. But when he was on Cody Barton Jersey the field, Haden . He is also one of the Steelers' biggest leaders, an intangible that is even more valuable following Roethlisberger's retirement.The Steelers could opt to try to sign a cornerback in free agency, specifically former Patriot . But Haden would be a more affordable option. The Steelers could re-sign Haden, then draft his eventual succe sor next month. Pittsburgh needs to draft a cornerback anyway, so why not have their rookie learn from one of the best corners the league has had over the past dozen years? Haden wants to finish his career in Pittsburgh, and a suming that his contract demands are manageable, the three-time Pro Bowler should get his wish.

It's the nature of the NFL that, inevitably, the old is removed to make way for the new. As unpleasant as it might be, teams around the league go through the perennial proce s of having to shave their roster down from 90 men to a more manageable count of 53 in late August, and that means making tough decisions that doesn't always involve simply shooing away the obvious. Sometimes, the roster casualties are those most don't see coming, while others are admittedly a tad more obvious.With training camp rapidly approaching around the league, there's at least one notable veteran on each team that is on a hot seat for their job in 2021, and it's time to take a look at who they might be. If these 32 veterans don't have a fantastic training camp, they could be looking for new jobs when September rolls around. : , TE JAC TE #85 Tebow had to know this was a long shot when he signed on, and his only saving grace might be his relationship with Urban Meyer -- the reason he's getting this shot in the first place. That Miles Sanders Jersey said, even Meyer is claiming Tebow with no special considerations. Time will tell if that's true, but if it is, Tebow's experiment at tight end could end soon. The Jaguars have several tight ends already on the roster who have a ton of experience at the position, headlined by , who was also . Headlines aside, this is the most sensical cut to be made by the Jaguars, unle s they want to sacrifice a seat on their 53-man roster for a 33-year-old who's never played tight end before and came out of retirement to try. Pick Six Newsletter Crafted By The Best NFL Experts Get the day's big stories + fun stuff you love like mock drafts, picks and power rankings. I agree to receive the "Pick Six Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pre sing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the . Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your Alshon Jeffery Jersey inbox. Sorry! There was an error proce sing your subscription. : , LB NYG MLB #45 Smith did himself no favors by telling everyone to "watch the film" on the back end of his disappointing 2020 campaign and incoming defensive coordinator Dan Quinn apparently did, leading to the selection of and in the 2021 -- along with the addition of in free agency as a linebacker. Smith has no choice but to be on high alert this coming season, as he also competes with for the right to stick around beyond 2021. Be it for rotation and/or salary cap implications, Smith is a prime candidate for either a trade or a release in the coming months and for all of his optimism, he knows he's on the bubble. : , DE SEA DE #99 In 2020, the Seahawks attempted to trade with the Cowboys to land Smith and were met with a dial tone. So when the Cowboys decided to part ways with Smith in 2021 free agency, the Seahawks jumped in and signed him without interference -- at least from another team. The interference turned out to come from Smith himself, who turned himself in . Granted, Smith isn't signed to a big-money deal, but rather a one-year contract at just around $1 million. But if he's going to be a distraction on a Lane Johnson Jersey team that had an offseason filled with them, and if Roger Goodell deems it nece sary to suspend him for any amount of time, the Seahawks might start thinking twice about a player they almost traded for but might not pan out in Seattle.Washington: , S Landon Collins SS Collins broke the bank in 2019 when he agreed to terms on a six-year, $84 million deal in Washington. And while that's wonderful for him as a player, it's time to begin a se sing if his production supports a continuation of such a mammoth deal. Collins was available for only seven games in 2020 because of a torn Achilles and wasn't exactly dominating before he went down with the season-ending injury. This means Washington has to be damn sure he'll not only return to form physically after a devastating injury, but that he'll also return to an All-Pro level in the proce s. Otherwise, they won't be able to justify his $16.92 million cap hit in 2021 (second-highest on the team). An outright release wouldn't yield enough savings to outweigh his presence, but trading him would see Washington net $12.72 million in savings. : , CB GB CB #20 It was all good just a year ago. King opened a lot of eyes in Green Bay when he hauled in a career-high five interceptions in 2019, making it appear the Packers made the right call when they selected him in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. The problem is he had only one interception prior to 2019 and he grabbed none in 2020, combined with the fact he battled injury that cost him five regular-season games last Avonte Maddox Jersey year and a total of 22 regular-season games in his four-year career. King was also exposed badly in the NFC Championship Game, and the Packers made the decision to select and with their first- and fifth-round pick, respectively. This means their patience with King may be at its end. : , TE ARI TE #86 To be fair here, Ertz doesn't fear the chopping block in Philadelphia. If anything, he welcomes it. The problem is nobody knows if the Eagles will be able to work out a trade to land a sets in return for him, but what is clear is how his career with Philly is likely at its end in 2021. He wants out and to a team he feels values what he brings to the table, and the Eagles instead have googly eyes for as their TE1 for the future. The relationship between Ertz and the Eagles truly could end at any moment. : , LB KC ILB #53 The Chiefs know the value of having Hitchens around, but they also diminished it by adding in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The best plan would see Kansas City allow Bolton to learn under Hitchens this coming season, but with Hitchens approaching a contract year in 2022 and $6.44 million in cap savings to be had if he's traded or released in 2021, the veteran might be in very real trouble if Bolton hits the ground running in camp and beyond. : , TE CHI TE #80 Graham is rapidly approaching the dusk of his NFL career. The 34-year-old is on the books for the Bears this season to the tune of a $10 million cap hit, and his inability to consistently Fletcher Cox Jersey stretch the field -- albeit still being a quality red zone target -- makes it difficult to fathom Chicago being willing to take such a financial hit. He's set to earn $6.9 million in base salary in 2021, which all converts to cap savings if the Bears decide to show him the door and instead give his reps to other talent on their roster like . : , RB LAC RB #20 Michel entered the NFL with a ton of promise that's since been consistently derailed by injur