The Pittsburgh Steelers have been busy this off-season. It has been one of the most active off-season’s in years bringing in free agents like Myles Jack, Levi Wallace, Mason Cole, James Daniels and most recently, Larry Ogunjobi. The Steelers also re-signed Minkah Fitzpatrick to an NFL record contract for a safety.
One free agent who is lingering on the market from a team with a tradition comparable to the Steelers is Green Bay Packers cornerback, Kevin King. Steelers general manager, Omar Khan should be on the phone, asking King to visit Heinz Field as quickly as possible.
AP / Gene Puskar
King, like Ogunjobi, has injury concerns, since entering the NFL. He has missed 23 of a potential 68 games for the Packers since joining in the same draft class as the Steelers newest free agent and T.J. Watt. He fits the Steelers criteria for free agents. He is 27 years old and when healthy, has flashed significant ability as cover corner. He infamously gave up the huge play right before the half in the 2020 NFC Championship game when Tom Brady and Scott Miller burned him to put the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ahead 21-10. Based on how the second half of that game played out, if King makes that play, it is likely Aaron Rodgers makes his second Super Bowl.
The knock on King is that he cannot stay healthy, but his injury history is littered with soft tissue issues and a shoulder he has injured twice. After the Ogunjobi deal, the Steelers still have significant cap space and with King lingering far longer than expected as a free agent, they may be able to steal another solid rotational piece of the puzzle on defense with a short term "prove it" deal. The Packers have been in no rush to re-sign him and the Cincinnati Bengals are rumored to have interest in bringing him into the fold. The Steelers know how to beat the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns, but had significant problems matching up with the Bengals receivers last season.
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Football is a game of inches. King is a 6'3", 200 pound corner that is 75 potentially very important inches. He would instantly be the Steelers fastest cornerback as he is just a little faster than Akhello Witherspoon. Assuming that he is healthy and wins a starting corner job, it would give the Steelers a pair of 6'3" corners who run 4.4 40-yard dashes that could result in the defense being able to play more man-to-man coverage with Levi Wallace covering the slot in nickel packages. This would enable Fitzpatrick to roam freely following the quarterbacks eyes as well. With teams scheming to stop Watt with double and triple teams, the ability to bring an extra blitzer could add a devastating element to the Steelers defense. If the Steelers bring five on a blitz, you cannot double team Watt and if the five DB’s with Jack underneath as the coverage linebacker play aggressively, they could create multiple turnovers.
King would also benefit from working with Mike Tomlin and the Steelers defensive staff who may be able to draw out the performance from his natural ability. If they can get him and his career back on track, the former second round draft pick, 33rd player overall selected, is still young enough to have a fantastic second act to his career. There is no downside for Khan bringing the 27-year-old into to the fold with a prove it deal that his agent would probably encourage him to sign. The Steelers like the Packers are a flagship franchise that has a defensive history second to none in the NFL. If King plays well, the Steelers have the flexibility based on their current quarterback contracts to keep him around for the next 2-3 years until they have to pay a quarterback.
Based on Tomlin’s recent appearance on The Pivot podcast with Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor, Taylor related when speaking to Tomlin:
“I’ve been waiting 14 years for this. 2009, the Jacksonville Jaguars released me, and there was only two teams I wanted to hear from: one was the [New England] Patriots and the other one was the Pittsburgh Steelers. Why didn’t you hit me up, boss?”
The Steelers probably did not consider Taylor seriously enough when he was a free agent, and if they brought him in in 2009, would Taylor have been carrying the ball instead of Rashard Mendenhall against the Packers in Super Bowl XLV? If so, maybe they win that game. Taylor ended up in New England and he expressed real regret that the Steelers did not sign him.
If players are viewing the opportunity to play in Pittsburgh for Tomlin like the former Jaguar great, maybe it is time to see if a player like King, who is looking to get his career on track, feels the same way. Upgrading the speed of the secondary, even if it is just in nickel and dime packages, is worth the risk if he does not display the ability to become a starter for the black and gold.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Would a pair of fast huge cornerbacks make the defense an elite unit? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
