The sudden retirement of Heath Miller last week not only leaves the Pittsburgh Steelers without one of the more reliable tight ends in football, it also has forced to make some tough decisions in terms of how to replace him.
With only Matt Spaeth and Jesse James remaining on the active roster, it’s clear the Steelers will need to add depth to the position through the draft or through free agency. Although the draft could be an option, is it realistic to think the Steelers will find a player who can make an immediate impact in his rookie season?
In a draft class with few prospects at the position that are considered early-round quality, the Steelers might need to look to an interesting list of free agents who could provide experience and immediate contributions for a team with Super Bowl aspirations next season.
Here’s a few of the better options in the free agent class that might fit the bill.
Jermaine Gresham is a former first-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals who spent last season with the Arizona Cardinals. After several productive seasons with the Bengals that included two years with 60 or more receptions, it made sense to reunite him Carson Palmer, the quarterback that he spent his rookie season with.
The results were clearly disappointing. After averaging 56 catches in his first five seasons in Cincinnati, Gresham flat lined with the Cardinals, catching only 18 passes in 12 starts.
Gresham will be 28 next season and has proven to be a solid pass catcher for the majority of his career. His ability to make plays in the passing game are intriguing, especially with a quarterback like Ben Roethlisberger in place to get him the ball. However, limited ability as a blocker and Gresham’s potentially prohibitive cost might keep him from the Steelers plans.
Jared Cook is the epitome of the player with incredible talent that has never developed into what he could be. Cook has played for head coach Jeff Fisher both with the Tennessee Titans and St. Louis Rams and his flashes of brilliance as a pass catcher were enough to induce the Rams into signing the 28-year-old to a hefty contract.
Cook’s cap hit of just over $8.3 million in 2015 is staggering and with over $7 million due next year, the Rams cut him loose after a 39-catch season that included zero touchdowns. Cook has a long history of not only being an underachiever on the field, he’s also known for being a knucklehead. He might be snagged for a bargain-basement cost, but is he really Steelers material? Don’t bet on it despite of speculation otherwise.
Benjamin Watson might be the most interesting option if the Steelers are looking for a one-year stopgap who can immediately add a pass-catching skillset to the offense. Yes, Watson is 35, but he is coming off career highs in both receptions (74) and yards (825) while adding six touchdowns as Drew Brees most reliable target last season with the New Orleans Saints.
Watson might be on the tail end of his career, but might just be the perfect fit as weapon in the passing game in a one season scenario. This would allow the Steelers to give the promising, but still inexperienced James more time to develop in a secondary role while Spaeth can continue to be a solid option as a blocker at the position.
