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NFL free agency 2019: Grades for every team

By Kevin Parvizi

PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 25: Odell Beckham #13 of the New York Giants yells prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on November 25, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 25: Odell Beckham #13 of the New York Giants yells prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on November 25, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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KANSAS CITY, MO – DECEMBER 30: Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson (20) runs through teammates before an NFL game between the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs on December 30, 2018 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO – DECEMBER 30: Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson (20) runs through teammates before an NFL game between the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs on December 30, 2018 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Pittsburgh Steelers

Key Additions: WR Donte Moncrief, CB Steven Nelson, ILB Mark Barron

Key Departures: WR Antonio Brown (trade), RB Le’Veon Bell, OT Marcus Gilbert, SS Morgan Burnett, TE Jesse James, OT Marcus Gilbert

Grade: D+

There may not be a more difficult free agency to grade than the Pittsburgh Steelers because of the way Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell left. On the one hand, they basically had no chance at keeping both players. But on the other hand, it’s fair to question an organization losing its two best players on offense – two players who have redefined greatness at their positions in the modern era – with a 37-year-old at quarterback and a head coach heading into a critical year. The Steelers should have swallowed their pride and paid both players a little bit extra, especially with the salary cap only increasing year-to-year.

Regardless, the Steelers felt like they had no choice in Brown’s situation, and they weren’t interested in paying a running back premium, especially since they had to have been blown away by how well James Conner played in 2018.

Donte Moncrief isn’t a great wide receiver and won’t replace Brown anytime soon, but he is a solid wideout who can make a difference in the red zone. After flashing with the Indianapolis Colts as one of Andrew Luck’s targets, Moncrief hasn’t found his footing with less adept quarterbacks throwing him the football, so he’s a worthy bounce-back candidate. If second-year pro James Washington can make a leap after a frustrating introduction to the NFL, Moncrief could be a good third or fourth option in a Steelers passing game that has a deep group of pass-catchers.

Last season, Steven Nelson was a starter on a Kansas City Chiefs defense that surrendered the most first downs, second-most total yards, and second-most passing yards in the NFL. However, Nelson is an above-average starter, and those stats fail to account for the fact that the Chiefs pass defense faced more passing attempts than any other team in the league; their net yards per pass attempt allowed average ended up being in the top half of defenses.

So Nelson is a positive addition to a Steelers secondary that needed more help around the likes of Joe Haden. As for Mark Barron? He isn’t short on talent, but his poor coverage and penchant for making mistakes make him a bit of a gamble.

The other departures beyond Bell and Brown won’t impact the Steelers much, and Nelson and Moncrief were nice signings by Kevin Colbert. However, it’s hard to give the Steelers anything other than a low grade for losing two excellent players and getting just a third and fifth-round pick for Brown, plus a 2020 compensatory pick for Bell.

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