Steelers OT Matt Feiler gets big pay bump thanks to performance-based pay

Matt Feiler far outplayed his base salary last season.

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Matt Feiler started 16 games in 2019. The former undrafted free agent became the starter in 2018 and made Marcus Gilbert expendable. He is also staring down being a restricted free agent in a few days.

But for now he can be happy he will be getting a nice bump in his 2019 salary thanks to the performance-based salary formula and the veteran pool. Feiler got $387,578 in performance pay and $236,004 from a veteran pool. This nearly doubled his salary from last season and brought his full compensation to $623,582.

Pittsburgh now has to take the last two seasons and determine how important Feiler is to the team and be sure they offer him a tender that is fair but will also assure another team in need of a big, strong starting right tackle won’t just scoop him up.

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6 right tackles the Jets should target in free agency

With the offensive line in need of an overhaul, here are six free agent right tackles the Jets should consider.

The offensive line will be one of Joe Douglas’ biggest priorities this offseason.

Sam Darnold played under duress for most of the season and rarely seemed to have the time in the pocket to find his receivers. Now that Douglas finally has control of the roster, he’ll look to upgrade the entire offensive line in the hopes of preventing what happened in 2019.

Starting right tackle Brandon Shell is an impending free agent, and all signs point to the Jets letting him walk after a disappointing 2019 season. Shell started 11 games this past season, but only because the Jets were forced to play him with so many injuries along the line. The Jets need a better tackle, and if they aren’t planning on taking one with the 11th pick in Aprils’ draft, they should look to sign at least one this offseason to shore up the right side of the line.

Here are six right tackle options for the Jets in free agency.

(Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

Jack Conklin

If the Jets want an immediate infusion of talent at the right tackle position, Jack Conklin is the move. He’s one of the youngest right tackles in free agency at 26 years old and his 78.3 overall Pro Football Focus grade finished 12th among tackles in 2019.

Conklin played a major role in the Titans’ ability to run the ball well this past season. He finished with the fifth-highest run-blocking grade – 81.0 – of all tackles, the sixth-best tackle on zone runs and 14th on gap runs, per PFF, and Derrick Henry ended up leading the league in rushing. A major concern for Conklin is his pass-protection, though. His pass-blocking grade ranks 49th over the past two seasons and the Titans allowed the third-most sacks in the NFL in 2019, which is more than the Jets even allowed. 

The Jets need their big free agency splashes to protect Darnold and can’t afford to spend big on a poor pass blocker. However, Conklin could command one of the biggest salaries on the offensive line. Spotrac put his market value at a six-year, $90.1 million contract, which would pay him $15 million a year. That would put him third among right tackles, so it’s conceivable he would ask to top that list above Lane Johnson and Trent Brown.