Should Asante Samuel Jr. be the Steelers’ other starting cornerback?
Asante Samuel Jr. should, in theory, be the Steelers’ second-best cornerback on the roster, at worst, behind Joey Porter Jr. But he hasn’t played much in the past two years, and the Steelers didn’t get a long look at him. Entering free agency later this month, should he be one of their priorities to re-sign?
Mind you, there are several variables to consider. For one thing, Samuel isn’t the only cornerback the Steelers have hitting free agency. There is also James Pierre, and Pierre essentially played ahead of Samuel. Now, would that have been true if Samuel had been with the team all offseason? Perhaps, perhaps not.
And then there’s the reality that there is an entire free agent market out there. The Steelers have Asante Samuel and James Pierre hitting free agency, but they have changed their secondary a lot in the past two years. Just last season, they added Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, Brandin Echols, Samuel, Jabrill Peppers, Chuck Clark, Kyle Dugger…you get the idea.
Then there is the injury consideration. While Asante Samuel returned to the field last year, are there any long-term concerns stemming from it that the Steelers should be concerned about? They’re in better position than anybody to know that, for multiple reasons. Not only did he play for them last year, his doctor also works for the Steelers.
On paper, it would sure be nice if it all worked out. If the Steelers pair Asante Samuel with Joey Porter, they could have a strong pair that can grow together. Samuel is still 26 years old even with five seasons under his belt, so he could easily have another half a decade in him.
He may not be the best cornerback to which they might have access this offseason, but factoring in price, is Asante Samuel the Steelers’ most ideal option at cornerback? He did play over 200 snaps for them last year, so it’s not like they didn’t get a look. Even with a new coaching staff, the tape is still the tape. And Mike Tomlin is a phone call away if they need a second opinion.
The Steelers exited the playoffs in the first round yet again, a pattern going back to 2017.With seven consecutive postseason losses, and no wins in nearly a decade, they are facing another long, long offseason. No doubt we will see many changes, but none will top Mike Tomlin resigning.
The NFL has crowned its latest champion, but for us and the Steelers, we have been in offseason mode. That’s what happens when the team you coverloses by the middle of January all the time, but you’ve been around, so you know that already. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
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