3 options for the Steelers with Montravius Adams headed into 2023

Mar 19, 2023 - 5:00 PM

As the 2023 NFL league year set to kick off at 4 PM on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, there are a number of decisions that the Pittsburgh Steelers have to make with a fair amount of players when it comes to their status for this season. While some players are set to become unrestricted free agents, there are some still under contract with the Steelers whose future might be in danger simply because of the amount of salary cap space they would consume for this coming season. Although some players are more obvious if they will be kept on for another season, others are more up for debate.

With some great discussion with talking about the options for Myles Jack, I decided to extend the question to other players who have one year remaining on their contract and have a significant cap savings if they were cut. After discussing Mitch Trubisky, Ahkello Witherspoon, Gunner Olszewski, Levi Wallace, and Arthur Maulet, next up is defensive tackle Montravius Adams. How should the Pittsburgh Steelers handle his situation? For the most part, there are three options when it comes to Adams and the 2023 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers:

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Release

The Steelers need to get better on the defensive line. With Cam Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi returning at the two tackle spots, the Steelers will be better served to have a better option at nose tackle that could also get involved with the rotation on the defensive line. Rolling out the status quo just isn’t good enough, and someone who only plays nose isn’t worth keeping around if he’s not the starter.

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Retain

Once again, there’s not much salary cap space to be had from Montravius Adams. Yes, the Steelers could save $2.5 million against the cap, but after displacement they would only clear about $1.6 million which isn’t really worth the savings. Adams might not hold onto the starting job for next year depending on what the Steelers do in the rest of free agency and in the 2023 NFL draft, but there’s no reason to move on from him as he still would give valuable depth.

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Extend

The Steelers have an age problem on the defensive line. Because of this, there’s a good chance they will address the position in the upcoming draft just like they have the last two seasons. But keeping Adams around beyond this season as he is only 28 years old could be beneficial.

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So now that these three options are on the table, it’s time to look at what might be the best move for the Steelers before opening up the discussion, I’ll give my vote:

My vote: Retain

I feel like I’ve got into a rut in continuing to answer that the Steelers should retain these players, but at these contracts for one season it makes sense. There is no reason to get rid of Adams now as he is their best option at nose tackle until their roster is filled out. And even if the Steelers addressed the position in free agency or the draft, having Adams there in case things don’t work out is a much better option for the price. But locking Adams in beyond 2023 is not necessary to do at this time. If the Steelers really want him, worry about it next offseason.

So what do you think? Should the Steelers release, retain, or extend Montravius Adams? Make sure you vote in the poll and leave your thoughts in the comments below.

In case you missed it, check out the same question for other players below: