New year, same story. It is no shock to anyone that the Pittsburgh Steelers are yet again short on cap space entering the offseason. Instead of looking at who needs their contract reworked or who can be cut, let's take a look at someone the Steelers could try to add on a bargain.
Kelvin. Beachum.
Yeah, I said it.
Beachum could be a potential target for the Steelers to sign without killing their cap situation.
For those who don't know, Beachum is a former Steelers offensive lineman who played for them from 2012-2015 after they selected him in the 7th round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
During his time with the Steelers, Beachum started a combined 39 games, with 34 of them coming at left tackle. During that stretch, Beachum was one of the best left tackles in the league, and excelled in pass protection on Ben Roethlisberger's blindside.
So if Beachum was so good for the Steelers, people are probably wondering why he would be an option for the cash strapped Steelers?
There are three factors in this: Age. Upside. Size.
By the time the start of the 2021 NFL season rolls around, Beachum will be 32 years of age. Not many teams are going to shell out very lucrative or long-term contracts to someone in their 30s.
The second factor is somewhat tied to the first, as not many players have much room to improve their overall game once they reach their 30s. Typically, players go the other way after that magic number of 30, and teams will pay more if they see upside in players.
The last is his size. While it hasn't been a hinderance in his overall career performance, teams will still hold Beachum's size against him. At 6'3", 300lbs, with a 33 1/4" arm length, not many teams consider him the ideal size for a left tackle, or even a tackle at all. This limits the number of suitors he will likely have this offseason.
Yes, I just named a bunch of reasons why teams won't sign Beachum. Maybe even reasons why the Steelers won't consider him.
However, he can still play football at an effective level, and the reasons above will hopefully let Beachum return to his first home even with the Steelers hurting for cash.
There is also a lot of speculation that the Steelers will have to let incumbent left tackle Alejandro Villanueva walk in free agency. If that is the case, which there is a realistic possibility that it is, they will also likely look to add a left tackle early in the draft.
If what I just said ends up becoming reality, Beachum would be a great mentor and/or potential starter for the rookie the Steelers select for the next year or two.
Beachum at worse could provide the Steelers with an experienced swing tackle with familiarity within the organization, and at a relatively cheap price compared to some other options.
Best case (for Beachum), he could be the Steelers Week 1 starter for what may be their Hall of Fame quarterback's last season, and a run at a 7th Super Bowl title. Potentially also for a year or two after that as well.
Regardless how it plays out, the Steelers will very likely be making a couple of changes up front on offense for 2021, and there are much worse options out there than Beachum.
Let us know below what you think about the potential of Beachum returning to the Black and Gold!
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