Steelers Urged to Sign Former Bengals Edge Rusher

The Steelers have added plenty of free agents so far, but Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox sees the three bargain free agents the team could add. One of those bargains is former Bengals edge rusher Carlos Dunlap, who he thinks the team could use for their edge rusher depth, even after signing Markus Golden.

“The Steelers should be eyeing the playoffs this year, and a playoff team cannot have too many pass-rushers. Bringing in a veteran like Carlos Dunlap would only make Pittsburgh’s defense that much more formidable. While Dunlap is 34 years old, he’s still productive and just finished the 2022 season with four sacks and 20 quarterback pressures. He’s coming off a championship season with the Kansas City Chiefs and is looking to contend again this season,” Knox wrote.

Dunlap played last year with the Chiefs and posted 4 sacks and 39 tackles with the team. He has been around the NFL over the last few seasons, including the Seattle Seahawks. However, Knox thinks there are two other free agents that could pique the interest of the Steelers as well.

Those players are running back J.D. McKissic and safety Duron Harmon. The justifications for both come down to depth and potential upgrades for Knox. However, both make little sense for the Steelers at this juncture. If they are going to make a move, a move at slot cornerback or backup center makes far more sense than what they could possibly bring to the table at these three positions.

For Dunlap, Golden and the rise of Nick Herbig seem to dispel that need. With McKissic, Anthony McFarland is having an outstanding training camp, and it seems unlikely that the team will need to add someone from the outside. As for Harmon, if the team wants more injury insurance, that could make some sense. But still, they have plenty of guys stepping up in that area.