The contract details of the newest member of the Pittsburgh Steelers' secondary, Keanu Neal, have finally been released. Two years, $4.25 million. Not bad for a former Pro Bowl player who played well for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022. While Neal will most likely not be a starter in 2023, his versatility in playing multiple positions will undoubtedly help the Steelers' defense in specific personnel packages as well as on special teams.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed former first-round draft pick Keanu Neal, most recently with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
At an average annual salary of a little over $2 million, Neal's impact with the team next season will come at a bargain. Omar Khan has been absolutely cooking this offseason. Keanu Neal is not the only safety the Steelers have added this offseason either, as the team also signed Damontae Kazee to a two-year, $6 million deal.
Neither Kazee nor Neal are superstar players at this point in their careers. However, their skill sets complement each other perfectly. Kazee is primarily known for his ability to cover receivers in space and create turnovers. He has 12 career interceptions, including two this past season with the Steelers. Neal, on the other hand, is an in-the-box safety who is effective at stopping the run. His physical style of play will allow him to play in dime/nickel linebacker personnel groupings in addition to his responsibilities as a strong safety.
Between Kazee and Neal, the Steelers seemed to have found their answer at safety to play alongside Minkah Fitzpatrick. The two players' salaries in 2023 add up to a little over $5 million, an absolute steal for Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin, especially when you consider that the team still has the ability to add valuable depth at the safety position in the 2023 NFL Draft. Assuming both Kazee and Neal can stay healthy in 2023, they will serve as an upgrade over their 2022 starter, Terrell Edmunds.
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Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee signed a two-year deal to stay with the black and gold for 2023.
Did The Steelers Make The Right Call By Opting To Go With Kazee/Neal Instead of Edmunds?
Now that the contract details for both Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee have officially been released, the question of whether or not the Steelers made the right decision by choosing the combination of the two players over Terrell Edmunds can now be better answered. From a purely financial perspective, the Steelers may have wished to bring back Edmunds as he signed an incredibly modest, one-year, $2 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. However, when level of play is taken in to consideration, both Kazee and Neal have a real chance to improve the safety position for the Steelers in 2023.
There is no denying that Edmunds was a solid player for the black and gold during his time in Pittsburgh. However, he lacked the ability to create big-time plays and never seemed to live up to the first-round hype that the team was hoping he would achieve. Furthermore, it became increasingly obvious that he was ultimately looking for a change of scenery next season.
He simply ran his course in Pittsburgh, and it was in the best interest of both parties to move on. While Steelers' fans may be sad to see Edmunds go, they should be even more excited about the additions of both Neal and Kazee. Their team-friendly deals will play a significant part in helping the Steelers continue to add valuable free agents who can help the team improve their chances at making the playoffs in 2023.
Steelers.com
The Pittsburgh Steelers defense takes the field at Acrisure Stadium in 2022.
Thoughts, Steeler Nation?
How do yinz feel about the contract of Keanu Neal? Do you think it is a fair number for both parties? How about the contract for Damontae Kazee? Will either of the two players be an upgrade over Terrell Edmunds? Leave a comment below!
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