Should Steelers pursue James Bradberry in free agency to shore up CB position?

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan's first full offseason as the GM is a big one. The cornerback position is one of the primary parts of the team that needs to be addressed, and Khan has plenty of options. The team could opt to bring back William Jackson III for cheap, who didn't appear in a game for the Steelers after being acquired in a trade in November. Ahkello Witherspoon could become a cap casualty after missing a majority of the 2022 season due to injury.

Of course, Cam Sutton is the biggest priority, as he heads into free agency. If he leaves, Khan will be forced to either draft a corner early or sign a potentially pricey DB. There are plenty of options out there to make sure the CB room is more than competent in 2023. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler threw out a guy that would be a great fit in James Bradberry of the Philadelphia Eagles. 

"Pittsburgh could look to add a corner in free agency or the draft," Fowler wrote. "Cameron Sutton is an option to return but might have priced himself out. Free agent James Bradberry would be a good fit. Or the Steelers could get wild and target Ravens nemesis Marcus Peters."

He also mentioned Marcus Peters of the Baltimore Ravens, who the Steelers have already been connected to. Bradberry was a big topic of debate at the end of Sunday's Super Bowl, as his Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. His holding on former Steelers wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster essentially sealed the game, but many thought it was minimal contact. After the game, Bradberry said he would be open to returning to the Eagles, but it will come at a price, which won't be cheap. 

The Steelers would have to drop a decent bag in order to scoop him up, but he has proven to be one of the more underrated corners in football the past few years. Bradberry made just over $7 million this past season on a one-year deal, as he was a cap casualty by the New York Giants last offseason. Spotrac has Bradberry's annual market value at just over $15 million, which would translate to a three-year, $45 million deal. 

While he's proven to be a very good corner, that may not be worth it for Khan and the Steelers. While they should certainly be trying to find a lockdown corner, paying a guy that much money probably isn't the best option. The Steelers already have the highest-paid defense in the NFL, and the 2022 unit showed signs of improvement at the end. At the moment, the front office has just over $1 million in cap space.

That will change, as guys will be released and such, but the Steelers don't exactly have a ton of money to work with. Also, Bradberry will be 30 years old by the time the 2023 season kicks off. Perhaps most importantly, Fowler slotted the Steelers with a few other promising teams. They were in the "headed on the right track" category, which also featured the Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers and other promising squads.