Steelers Standard (Pittsburgh Steelers) · SNR

HR 2: Steelers Defense Roster Upgrades/Downgrades, Standard by the Number: 59-50

March 18, 2026·48 min·4 clips

The Steelers have free agent targets still unsigned, including rumored safety Darnell Savage, as week two of NFL free agency begins.

Week two has settled in. Ed and Brian start with the NFL calendar flip: week one of free agency is done, but a few Steelers calls are still hanging around. Then they get to the useful part, sorting the roster player by player and separating actual movement from offseason noise. Jamel Dean is the easy win. They miss James Pierre as a familiar secondary piece, but Dean's arrival from the Tampa Bay Bucs lands as a clear upgrade, especially with social media outlets already praising it. Those rankings had the Dean signing among the NFL's top five free-agent moves, which gives the segment some juice without turning it into a victory lap. Strong safety gets the local angle. Jaquan Brisker, coming from the Bears with that local-product tag, becomes part of the reshaped defensive backfield conversation. Punter is murkier. Cam Johnston coming in while Corliss Waitman may move out feels closer to neutral because last year's camp battle was tight and Johnston's 2024 injury still matters. Returner is the real downgrade. Calvin Austin handled punt returns for most of the last three years, and that spot stays open until someone with similar burst shows up. Keyshawn Williams turns into the what-if. His move to the Bengals gets a curious look because he was the rookie from Indiana who flashed shiftiness when he got a chance. Kick returns are still part of it too. The hope is one returner who can handle both kicks and punts, though Calvin Austin's size and workload explain why that never quite became his job. The number segment ends with some heft: Sam Davis at 57, Jack Lambert at 58, and Jack Hamm at 59 before Ed and Brian tee up Mike DeFabo for the next show.

As heard by us

A steady Steelers roster check that closes with a Hall of Fame-heavy jersey-number run.

The piece keeps its attention on Steelers free agency, treating Jamel Dean as a clear secondary upgrade, Jaquan Brisker as a useful add, and Cam Johnston as a mostly neutral move.

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Why you'd press play

Press play for a Steelers free agency update that stays practical and locally grounded.

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