The Pittsburgh Steelers have cut veteran defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi who now becomes one of the best available on the market. It’s the beginning of the tampering period so that means teams across the league are starting to release or begin negotiations on new deals. According to the breaking news, the Steelers are releasing the defensive tackle after a three-year stint with them but the move doesn’t come as a surprise. The Steelers had an upcoming bonus for Ogunjobi and it was always the expectation the team would release him before it went through.
Originally selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, the former Charlotte product was one of the first veterans Steelers GM Omar Khan got, signing a one-year deal ahead of the 2022 season. Ogunjobi failed a physical with the Chicago Bears previously but got a new chance with the Steelers. However, he wasn’t much special but a dependable tackler in the trenches, posting 1.5 sacks and 48 total tackles in his first year with the team. Although, he was one of the men responsible for why the Cincinnati Bengals went to the Super Bowl but eventually lost in that matchup.
Ogunjobi might still earn a lucrative contract with these three teams but it could come at the expense of a one-year “prove it” deal.
Breaking: Steelers Cut 27-Sack “Run Stuffer” Veteran Larry Ogunjobi – 3 Possible Destinations
Possible Next Teams
Baltimore Ravens
Last offseason, the Baltimore Ravens had no choice but to look on the sidelines losing Jadeveon Clowney and Geno Stone. The team didn’t have any cap space for offseason moves but unfortunately, the Ravens are in the same position. Eventually, the Ravens did sign Yannick Ngakoue on a temporary deal but released him afterward since the team was struggling on the run defense. This wasn’t the only issue but the pass secondary also had its struggles even though John Harbaugh brought it back to life with the emergence of John Harbaugh.
With that, since the Steelers got key defenders like Stone last offseason, this could be Baltimore’s chance to sign a fellow rival player like Ogunjobi. He could be an excelling pair to fit in that system with a younger defensive line crowd as his veteran could be useful. Nnamdi Madubuike struggles to keep the defense balanced. The defense is getting younger with Travis Jones and Broderick Washington taking over the command, so perhaps they could sign Ogunjobi on a one-year bargain.
New Orleans Saints
As for the Saints, they can’t spend much on this year’s free agency since they are in cap hell once again. However, they need all the help they can get while quarterback Derek Carr’s return could be a “hit or miss” situation as he hasn’t been performing up to standards despite the Mickey Loomis excitement. Chase Young could be signing a new deal in moments and Cameron Jordan may be cut to relieve the cap so they could pull off an Ogunjobi signing as a temporary cheap replacement.
Carolina Panthers
Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers got hit with the swerve move as of this posting as they expecting to sign Milton Williams. He would have been an excellent addition for Derrick Brown’s return but the defensive tackle market is still deep. However, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if the Panthers look into Ogunjobi after failing to land Williams who is now signing with the Patriots.