The NFL has finished the first round of signing free agents for the new season, but there are still many good players available. One player that Nick Farabaugh of Steelers Now recommends the Pittsburgh Steelers consider targeting is safety Julian Blackmon. Pittsburgh Steelers should focus on acquiring safety Julian Blackmon.
according to Farabaugh. Farabaugh thinks that Blackmon could be one of three free agents that the Steelers need to sign to fill their remaining needs. He is especially excited about the former safety for the Indianapolis Colts and sees him as essential for 'unlocking' former All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick.
. Farabaugh believes that Blackmon is the perfect fit to play alongside Minkah Fitzpatrick, as he can move around the football field and provide the versatility that the Steelers require. He thinks that Fitzpatrick was too restricted to one position in the past season.During his four seasons with the Colts,
Blackmon achieved a total of 214 tackles, including 12 tackles for loss. Additionally, he recorded 17 pass defenses and 7 interceptions. In 2023, he reached career highs of 88 combined tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 8 pass defenses, and 4 interceptions. At the start of the offseason,
Pro Football Focus ranked he recorded Blackmon as the sixth-best safety available in free agency.
The Potential Impact of Julian Blackmon on the Steelers The Steelers have already added starting cornerback Donte Jackson
and wideout
Diontae Johnson . Nevertheless, they still need more depth in the cornerback and safety positions. in a trade It would be most beneficial for the Steelers to sign a starting safety. Pittsburgh released, who started eight games in 2023, on March 7.
Blackmon would fulfill that need, as he has played 46 games over four seasons with the Colts, including a career-high 15 games in 2023. According to the Pro Football Focus player grades, Blackmon had his best season last year. He received a 68.3 PFF player grade, which Keanu Nealranked 26th among 61 safeties
who played at least half of their team’s snaps in 2023. He started Most importantly, Blackmon could be the perfect safety to pair with Fitzpatrick, who aims to return to All-Pro form in 2024.
“In 2023, Pittsburgh used Fitzpatrick in the slot and box more often than they would have preferred,” He posted Farabaugh noted . “Although he excels in that area, his range and ball skills indicate that he should have a more diversified role than solely playing in the box and engaging in physical play. “Bringing in someone like Blackmon to help ease Fitzpatrick's burden of taking on too many roles, especially if Damontae Kazee remains, would be a significant addition to the Steelers' defense.”
Fitzpatrick achieved
first-team All-Pro status in 2022 with a league-leading 6 interceptions. However, he did not have any interceptions in 2023. Predicting Blackmon’s Next ContractBlackmon could be an appealing target for the Steelers from a financial standpoint as well.
PFF estimated that
Blackmon's value for a 2-year deal this offseason is $11.5 million, with $6 million guaranteed and an average annual salary of $5.75 million. According to Spotrac's report on March 14, the Steelers have $16.94 million in cap space remaining, which ranks 17th in the NFL and is approximately $5.4 million below the league average.
The Steelers need to sign a safety with a cheap contract because they have other needs at cornerback, wide receiver, and center.
But Pittsburgh could free up more salary cap space by making other moves.
Gerry Dulac from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette made a prediction about the Steelers
restructuring Jackson's contract to reduce his $10.52 million cap hit for 2024.
The Steelers might also adjust contracts for Fitzpatrick and edge rushers
Alex Highsmith , as well as offering an extension to defensive lineman Cameron Heyward to free up more cap space. Nick Farabaugh from Steelers Now suggested that the Pittsburgh Steelers should bring in free agent safety Julian Blackmon to play alongside 3-time All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick.
The Steelers could also restructure contracts for Fitzpatrick and edge rushers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, along with offer defensive lineman Cameron Heyward an extension, to create more cap space.
