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Among their many needs for the 2024 offseason, cornerback is one of the biggest for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The team found their CB1 through the draft last season and are set at that spot, but they badly need a CB2 if they want to get their defense back to the elite level the franchise is known for.
They could go back to the draft to find their second corner, but ESPN’s Aaron Schatz thinks they’ll find their answer in free agency.
In an article naming a free agent that each team in the league should sign this offseason, Schatz named Washington Commanders corner Kendall Fuller as the player the Steelers should sign.
A Disappointing Finish With the Commanders
When Fuller joined the Commanders back in 2020, he quickly helped them become one of the NFL’s best defenses.
In his first year with the team, they were fourth in the league in points allowed.
The 2021 was a tougher one for the Commanders defense, but in 2022 they were right back in the top 10 in points allowed.
Then things fell apart for the defense in 2023.
They were the NFL’s worst defense by a pretty large margin. They allowed 63 more points than any other team in the league.
The pass defense was a big part of the problem.
They allowed the league’s most passing yards on the second most yards per passing attempt. The Commanders also allowed opposing QBs to complete 66.2% of their pass attempts.
Fuller didn’t do much to help with those issues this past season.
Opposing quarterbacks completed 67.1% of their passes when throwing his way. He also allowed 8.1 yards per attempt when targeted. He also allowed nine touchdowns.
It was a tough way to end what had been a solid run with the Commanders and it makes his fit with the Steelers a bit questionable this offseason.
Is He a Fit for the Steelers?
This one is a bit difficult to understand.
There is no question that the Steelers need to find another starting corner for the 2024 season.
They don’t have anybody they can depend on to line up alongside Joey Porter Jr. right now.
Patrick Peterson isn’t an outside corner anymore. Levi Wallace is a free agent and would still be a slot corner if they bring him back.
The team needs somebody on the outside.
It’s hard to see how Fuller is the guy for the job.
One thing the Steelers’ pass defense did well in 2023 was limit completions from opponents.
They were sixth in the league in completion percentage allowed at 60.6%. Even Peterson held opponents under 60%.
Adding a corner who allows a high completion percentage could negate the thing they actually did well.
His yards per attempt allowed were also worse than the Steelers’ numbers for 2023. They were already in the bottom 10 in that category.
He also doesn’t really help their lack of speed. He ran a slower 40 time than Porter Jr.
On top of all of that, he’d be expensive. Sportrac currently has him projected to make more than $14 million per year on his next deal.
The Steelers will need to go out and find a starting corner this offseason, but I’m not sure that it should be Fuller.
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