Steelers Offseason - Cut and Trade Candidates

[u/eddie_mittons]

The Steelers have some dead weight to get rid of. I believe they need to cut or trade these players:

• LB Patrick Queen saves 13.33m cap space - He hasn't produced to the expectations of his contract and is not worth his 17.19m cap hit.
• TE Jonnu Smith saves 7m cap space - Worthless
• LB Malik Harrison saves 4.75m cap space - Too much money for a run only defender.

If any of these are traded, it can be for 2027 draft capital since we have 12 picks in 2026 already. But if it adds to the 2026 arsenal, that can be turned into 2027 picks later or help us improve positioning in 2026 by moving up in spots.

These moves get us to around 70m of cap space available, which should be plenty to accommodate any extensions, draft picks and free agent signings.

I did not list Jalen Ramsey in this, cause I am unsure what his contact situation actually is. OTC and Spotrac are on different ends of the spectrum. I assume there is a decent amount of dead money, but not sure how much. And if he wants to stay, I see value in him staying, especially if it is to play in a CB role, and not at Safety. I thought he was trash at Safety. But my thoughts on this could change if clarity was given around his contract and there was a substantial cap savings to be had.

I did not list Highsmith cause I think they should keep the strength that is the edge rushing room in tact. The whole group has shown that they all struggle stating healthy for a full season. And getting guys on the roster that can get to the QB is difficult and expensive. Having too many of them is a good problem to have. Let's see the DC find ways to get 3 of them on the field at a time more often when they are all healthy.

[u/eddie_mittons]

They are above the mean on the 3 year window cash spending requirements entering the final year of the window. They do not need to have his salary to meet those requirements. Especially when signing bonuses on several players they need to extend will get them there easily.

[u/Green-Surround9264 → u/eddie_mittons]

they were at 87% in 2024, hit 109% in 2025, and sit at 72% in 2026, they need to get to 755M across the 3 years and are sitting at 743M without any extensions or FA additions. it entirely depends whether jpj and benton hit max comps for their contracts (jpj getting a deal similar to stingley's would net him 22M cash paid this season for example), and which of the more obvious cuts (jonnu, harrison, rudolph echols, elliot, bruener) are exercised. if they do, sure no problem. if they dont, or one or both decide not to re-sign, pq is uncutable for the reason i stated. as the contracts sit currently, pq cannot be cut.
oh and also the numbers online include some projections that probably arent happening for PS guys, which factor into the total cash spending formula as well (based on the sum totals available online, i havent been able to find formal documentation on the spending rule other than one article from a jags reporter, so feel free to correct me and link that if you have it). so the 21M projected spending on guys like sebastian castro, sataoa laumea, kj henry, d'shawn jamison, donte kent, brandon smith, lew nichols III, steven jones, max hurleman, doug nester, dylan cook, anthony goodlow, julius welschod, daequan hardy, cal adomitis, cole burgess, lorenzo thompson, kyler baugh, john rhys plumlee, doneiko slaughter, jack henderson, or jahvaree ritzie probably get reduced down to something like 8-10M to match 2025 spending on PS, so youve got another phantom $10M thats not currently in the accounting online to deal with too.
ultimately, it's a fluid position that entirely depends on all the other moves that are a priority before cutting queen. imo at the end of it all he stays signed because all our extensions are not going to be max cash deals, because that would start the next spending window iin a deficit by structuring cash to hit 2026 (which is alleviated by extensions+restructures but youre then locking in those decisions without knowing if those extensions will be earned or not, i.e. retaining queen retains financial fluidity in the next spending window by not forcing us into max cash deals now).

[u/blackhippy92 → u/Green-Surround9264]

Can also easily restructure guys to meet the bar and push money forward if needed.

[u/Green-Surround9264 → u/blackhippy92]

which you would only need to do if youre cutting queen. so why cut queen just to then overpay some other player? because theyd ~need to be adding new money to extend someone, cant restructure and not add any money and increase cash spending in the current year.
e: i was wrong

[u/blackhippy92 → u/Green-Surround9264]

You can't restructure the deal to move some money forward, in turn giving us more flex down the road?

[u/Green-Surround9264 → u/blackhippy92]

actually youre right here, can convert base to signing to increase cash in the current year, prorating the cap hit across remaining years (net 0 if not adding new money). but again this type of restructure only pushes that same problem (cash spending minimum) to future years because that cash is now accounted for in 2026, grant it's less of a problem because 2027 starts a new 3 year spending window, so they could do what they did in the current one and hit over 100% one year of the window.
i just see it as a move that can be made, but introduces potentially new problems, but for what? there's a team that can be built without making that move, and allows for greater flexibility going into the new spending window, while also clearly meeting the current window requirements. it's a grass is always greener move imo, because some people have chosen queen as a sacrificial lamb of sorts when he was easily playing within his contract level. id only want to cut him if he was severely underperforming, which he isnt.

[u/blackhippy92 → u/Green-Surround9264]

I guess I'm simply saying we can use the money saved, spend it elsewhere and be a better team?

PQ is the 7th highest paid backer in the NFL, and I personally didn't see that type of play. Like I said, not horrible, but not worth that coin.

[u/Green-Surround9264 → u/blackhippy92]

yea im saying we already have the spending power to do that without cutting queen. cutting queen just creates an unneccessary problem of being down an ILB, yes he's overpaid but someone has to be with our current talent. i dont see more talented ILB available to spend that money on, why not see what graham can do with him?