First, it was Mitch Morse. The Pittsburgh Steelers hosted the free agent center on Friday and made an aggressive push, but he left without a deal. Morse agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth $10.5 million ($7 million guaranteed) with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday.
Lloyd Cushenberry, Tyler Biadasz, Aaron Brewer, and Matt Hennessy followed soon after. Brewer and Hennessy were considered potential options as they played for Arthur Smith in Tennessee and Atlanta.
After the Steelers released Mason Cole prior to the start of free agency, it became an immediate need. Nate Herbig, Spencer Anderson, Ryan McCollum and Anderson Hardy are the only names remaining.
Yup, exactly.
If Pittsburgh doesn’t make a move at center in the coming days, it’s a given that it’ll draft one in the first two rounds. Interestingly enough, Cole remains the third-best free-agent option at center behind Miami Dolphins’ Connor Williams and Los Angeles Rams’ Brian Allen. According to Spotrac, Williams’ estimated market value is five years, $67.676 million ($13.5 million average annual salary).
Luckily for the Steelers, the 2024 center draft class is a deep one, but if they don’t wait, Jackson Powers-Johnson could be an option at No. 20. West Virginia’s Zach Frazier will likely be available to them at No. 51.
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