The Pittsburgh Steelers are already having a tumultuous off-season and things are about to get worse. It looks like the Green Bay Packers are bringing in Steelers' nose tackle Steve McLendon for a visit. McLendon was signed by the Steelers to a $1.3 million tender and is currently a restricted free-agent.
The problem is if McLendon leaves the Steelers will get nothing in return because McLendon wasn't drafted. Unlike how the Steelers would have netted a third-round pick for receiver Emmanuel Sanders if they would not have matched the Patriots' offer.
The Steelers can not afford to lose McLendon, considering that they are paper-thin at nose guard with him. They cut veteran Casey Hampton and the backup is Almeda Ta'amu, who I said the Steelers should cut for his off the field actions. Not to mention that Ta'amu is just an unproven prospect at this point.
Personally, I like McLendon and at $1.3 million he was going to be a real value for the Steelers. McLendon is a big guy at 6'4 and is good against the run and the pass. The Steelers are strapped when it comes to the cap but they have to bring McLendon back somehow. It's not like they've spent much money this off-season. They doubled Sander's contract and they signed William Gay and Matt Spaeth. They already lost James Harrison, Mike Wallace, Rashard Mendenhall, and Keenan Lewis.
This would also alter their draft board drastically. Nose tackle would now become their top priority. At 17 they might want to look at either Johnathan Jenkins from Georgia or Johnathan Hankins from Ohio State. I'm not sure what the Steelers are doing in their front-office but this is not the same savvy front-office that I'm used to seeing with this team.
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