The Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers aren't so different this offseason when it comes to cornerbacks. Each team has a young star ready to sign a potential extension, yet the move comes with some questions or hesitation. Each unit is also facing significant losses in free agency, with major considerations on who to let walk and who to re-sign.
While the Steelers might put up a bit of a fight to retain cornerback James Pierre, the Chiefs might want to check in on the cost of such a free-agent gamble.
Pierre is a former star for Florida Atlantic who had high hopes for the 2020 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, the loss of a pre-draft season due to COVID prohibited Pierre and others from making an impact with cancelled pro days and interviews. The Pittsburgh Steelers convinced him to sign as an undrafted free agent, and he's steadily built an impressive body of work for the franchise ever since.
The Pittsburgh Steelers aren't going to want to let James Pierre go, but he could be an ideal target in free agency.
Not only has Pierre proven to be a very reliable player, with an average of 16 games played per season since 2000, but he's grown into a trusted rotational player after starring initially on special teams. Last year, Pierre played a career-high 38 percent of defensive snaps, holding opposing quarterbacks to a lowly 41.4 passer rating. He finished the season with 11 pass deflections and 1 interception in 14 games.
The Steelers have a rhythm of bringing back Pierre on a series of one-year deals for each of the last three seasons, but his strongest season yet is likely to bring more suitors than before. Pro Football Focus loved his coverage last season and gave him a sparkling 88.9 grade, by far his best effort in six seasons.
The Chiefs already have candidates to start on the outside next season in second-year corner Nohl Williams and Kristian Fulton, who will be very motivated to show what he can do with a real opportunity in a contract season. Those two could allow Trent McDuffie to remain inside, if he's not traded away, forming a solid nucleus at the position. However, the Chiefs are also losing Jaylen Watson, Nazeeh Johnson, and Joshua Williams to free agency.
There's a lot in flux for the Chiefs at corner, depending on whether they can convince Watson to stick around or whether they extend or deal McDuffie. That said, there's definitely room for a rotational veteran and that's where Pierre comes in. He's consistently played outside for the Steelers and given them a core special teams player with years of experience.
The truth is that the Chiefs need to go bargain shopping to stock up on depth before the draft, and a player like Pierre could be a nice fit to feel better about corner early. Spotrac has Pierre's market value at a one-year, $1.9 million deal, which will likely depend on what Pittsburgh wants to do. The Steelers also have Asante Samuel Jr. hitting free agency, and the position remains a need due to lack of depth.