Last week, the NFL announced a $30 million increase to the salary cap, giving the Pittsburgh Steelers more money to work with. Mark Kaboly of The Athletic suggests that the Steelers should use this extra cash to bolster their aging defensive line with some talented, young players. Kaboly specifically mentions Cameron Heyward, who is turning 35 and coming off an injury, and Larry Ogunjobi, who hasn’t lived up to his contract and will be turning 30. Kaboly suggests that the Steelers could potentially sign Christian Wilkins or D.J. Reader, two standout interior linemen from the AFC. Wilkins, who played for the Miami Dolphins, has impressive stats with 55 or more tackles in four of his five seasons, 20.5 sacks, 43 tackles for loss, 19 passes defended, and an interception over his career. Reader, who played for the Cincinnati Bengals, made 34 tackles over 14 games last season and has 9.5 sacks and eight passes defended over his career. He was the fifth-highest paid defensive lineman during the 2023 season, earning $13,250,000 in the final year of his four-year, $53 million contract.
