Steelers released CB Artur Maulet

[DP39]

Steelers released CB Artur Maulet.

Maulet, whose played the past two seasons in Pittsburgh, has three interceptions over six NFL seasons. In 2022, he set a career high with 59 tackles for the Steelers, including two tackles for a loss. Maulet will likely sign with another team before training camps start.

RELATED: Pittsburgh Steelers
SOURCE: Ian Rapoport on Twitter
May 10, 2023, 11:11 AM ET

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Saves about $850k with roster displacement.

Chandon Sullivan is definitely your CB-S now.

Are they making more cap room to sign another FA (OLB?) or are they just doing it so they can start signing their draft picks?

[Jobu]

Probably just releasing a vet early because he no longer fits into their plans.

[Obviously]

Probably just releasing a vet early because he no longer fits into their plans.

Per Cameron Wolfe at NFL Network, Maulet requested it due to a difference of opinion on his contract.

[Jobu]

Probably just releasing a vet early because he no longer fits into their plans.

Per Cameron Wolfe at NFL Network, Maulet requested it due to a difference of opinion on his contract.

Or that!

[DP39]

Yep....

Brooke Pryor
@bepryor

Versatile CB Art Maulet asked for his release from the Steelers, and it was granted, source confirms. Maulet spent the last two seasons in Pittsburgh — played in 33 games with 8 starts — and was especially productive in 2022 with 59 tackles, 2 sacks and an interception.

11:53 AM · May 10, 2023

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.....He saw the writing on the wall, obviously.

[steelmann58]

I guess they had a plan not with him

[Steelafan77]

So I’m seeing from the inter webs/blogsphere that the plan is looking like Sullivan/Wallace competing for slot corner? What say Fury folk.

[Mick]

This idea people have that you need someone who is really short and can’t cover anyone to take tons of snaps in your nickel package or your defense will fall apart kinda drives me nuts. Maulet was bad. Sullivan is bad. There’s no reason Sullivan should ever get snaps over wallace.

Big question is porter vs witherspoon vs trice vs pierre for the other top 3 CB position.

[SteelerDayTrader]

This idea people have that you need someone who is really short and can’t cover anyone to take tons of snaps in your nickel package or your defense will fall apart kinda drives me nuts. Maulet was bad. Sullivan is bad. There’s no reason Sullivan should ever get snaps over wallace.

Big question is porter vs witherspoon vs trice vs pierre for the other top 3 CB position.

[steelmann58]

Think Omar has something up his sleeve he had to know this was coming

[stillthere]

Not gonna lie I liked the attitude he brought after we got waxed at Buffalo last year. I don't think he is irreplaceable but I liked his mentality the last 2 years.

[Ice]

Peterson, Porter and Wallace as the top 3, with Pierre and Price as backup, maybe along with Witherspoon? is potentially a pretty nice CB group. Kudos to Khan et. al. I'm way less worried about this bunch than I was early in FA.

[bradshaw2ben]

This idea people have that you need someone who is really short and can’t cover anyone to take tons of snaps in your nickel package or your defense will fall apart kinda drives me nuts. Maulet was bad. Sullivan is bad. There’s no reason Sullivan should ever get snaps over wallace.

Big question is porter vs witherspoon vs trice vs pierre for the other top 3 CB position.

No argument about Maulet & Sullivan. But the missing part of the equation you are minimizing is the physicality, aggressive play of the run, and tackling that is paramount in the slot. It isn't about getting your third-best corner on the field, it's about getting someone who fits there and who has a big toolbox. In many ways, it's a more difficult position to fill than safety, for example. Guys like Hilton (and I would say Kazee) who can blitz, run fill vs bigger players, tackle like mad, cover anybody that lines up against them, drop into a three-deep shell... and do all of that in the course of one series... those guys are gold. Why they so minimized Mike Hilton and refused to pay him is crazy to me.

To me, Porter is a guy to play M2M vs an X receiver. Wallace is a solid #2 on the outside. Nothing flashy but he'll be around his guy. Pat Pete has some physicality and size, but if he transitions from outside CB, I'd see him going to S. So maybe their primary package is JPJ/Wallace on the outside, Pat Pete & Minkah as S, Kazee as NCB. I could endorse that group, even though that'll be far from perfect at outside CB.

[Ice]

There's more pro-proven/high draft capital value in the secondary that you've outlined than we've had in quite some time. Maybe have to go back almost two decades.

[DP39]

Assuming we'll keep 10 DBs (most likely 4 Ss & 6 CBs)

LCB: Peterson --- Trice --- Pierre (Pierre plays ST)
SS: Neal --- Norwood OR Killebrew (Killebrew is a ST Ace)
FS: Minkah --- Kazee
RCB: Porter --- Witherspoon
NCB: Wallace --- Sullivan

Several observation(?s):

1. Is Tanner Muse the new and cheaper Miles Killebrew (ST ACE replacement)? If so, then Norwood (or another FA) sticks at SS3/FS3 with Kazee at SS2/FS2. Muse could probably play emergency S better than Killebrew at this point, too.

2. Do Wallace & Sullivan both stick because they are basically the only two DBs that can actually play NCB (maybe Kazee can, too, but not sure how well)?

3. At CB, obviously Peterson, Porter and Wallace stick (and probably Trice), that leaves Witherspoon, Pierre and Sullivan fighting for two spots. Pierre is the only one with any real ST experience.

Seems like Witherspoon might be the odd man out, but who knows.

[Ice]

Last few games of 2021-22 Witherspoon is pretty much the only good Witherspoon we've seen. Starts to get hard to justify after a while. With the added offseason talent, it may be impossible any longer.

[Mick]

No argument about Maulet & Sullivan. But the missing part of the equation you are minimizing is the physicality, aggressive play of the run, and tackling that is paramount in the slot. It isn't about getting your third-best corner on the field, it's about getting someone who fits there and who has a big toolbox. In many ways, it's a more difficult position to fill than safety, for example. Guys like Hilton (and I would say Kazee) who can blitz, run fill vs bigger players, tackle like mad, cover anybody that lines up against them, drop into a three-deep shell... and do all of that in the course of one series... those guys are gold. Why they so minimized Mike Hilton and refused to pay him is crazy to me.

To me, Porter is a guy to play M2M vs an X receiver. Wallace is a solid #2 on the outside. Nothing flashy but he'll be around his guy. Pat Pete has some physicality and size, but if he transitions from outside CB, I'd see him going to S. So maybe their primary package is JPJ/Wallace on the outside, Pat Pete & Minkah as S, Kazee as NCB. I could endorse that group, even though that'll be far from perfect at outside CB.

yeah disagree. Hilton had unique downhill abilities that compensated for his below average coverage abilities, and kind of created a platoon position for himself that doesn’t normally exist.

But for the most part, you have the third CB out to match up with passing personnel, and they are going to pass ~75% of the time, and your main job is to cover. Other than an extreme outlier case of a Mike Hilton on your roster, you will always be better off putting your best three corners on the field; if the #3 guy is truly lacking in the physical part of the game, you may very well flip one of your top two to the interior in more likely running situations, but it should generically be your 3rd best CB coming on. Really, the top two CBs are who really need to be strong against the run; they’re the ones always staying on the field when the offense shows run.

Being short and small and slow and bad in coverage are not positives for slot corners. They’re bad things. But somewhere along the line people started believing that was the prototype: it’s not. Those are just bad things that are easier to hide inside than outside. Teams just don’t usually have three big fast corners that can cover, so the crappy one plays inside.

[Pabst]

3. At CB, obviously Peterson, Porter and Wallace stick (and probably Trice), that leaves Witherspoon, Pierre and Sullivan fighting for two spots. Pierre is the only one with any real ST experience.

Seems like Witherspoon might be the odd man out, but who knows.

Going off of pro football reference snap counts, Sullivan & Witherspoon both played quite a bit on ST in their first few seasons. I think it'll come down to who is willing to play snaps on ST. Also (sadly) injuries.

Have to say though, it's nice to have this level of depth even if the top-end talent is lacking.

[DP39]

3. At CB, obviously Peterson, Porter and Wallace stick (and probably Trice), that leaves Witherspoon, Pierre and Sullivan fighting for two spots. Pierre is the only one with any real ST experience.

Seems like Witherspoon might be the odd man out, but who knows.

Going off of pro football reference snap counts, Sullivan & Witherspoon both played quite a bit on ST in their first few seasons. I think it'll come down to who is willing to play snaps on ST. Also (sadly) injuries.

Have to say though, it's nice to have this level of depth even if the top-end talent is lacking.

Yeah, I should've been more clear....I should've said "significant" instead of "real" -- like over 40% of the ST snaps. Real ST contributors. That's the angle I was going for -- as in Danny Smith will have some say so in who the end of roster guys will be by if they're ST capable and willing, of course. In PIT, at least Pierre has shown to be. Spoon just doesn't strike me as a player with that much will.

I agree. Some of the best potential talent and real depth we've had in a long time on the back end.

Excluding our three specialists, we lost half (4 of 8) of our core ST guys (>40% snaps) and 6 of 11 with >30% snaps. Killebrew, C-Hey, Boykin, Pierre and Norwood are still here for now. Figuring out those replacement will tell us a lot as to how the roster finishes out. Muse, Herbig, Tice, Robinson, and maybe D-Wash (and a RB FA (Snell)) will fill some of those major losses is my guess.

[bradshaw2ben]

No argument about Maulet & Sullivan. But the missing part of the equation you are minimizing is the physicality, aggressive play of the run, and tackling that is paramount in the slot. It isn't about getting your third-best corner on the field, it's about getting someone who fits there and who has a big toolbox. In many ways, it's a more difficult position to fill than safety, for example. Guys like Hilton (and I would say Kazee) who can blitz, run fill vs bigger players, tackle like mad, cover anybody that lines up against them, drop into a three-deep shell... and do all of that in the course of one series... those guys are gold. Why they so minimized Mike Hilton and refused to pay him is crazy to me.

To me, Porter is a guy to play M2M vs an X receiver. Wallace is a solid #2 on the outside. Nothing flashy but he'll be around his guy. Pat Pete has some physicality and size, but if he transitions from outside CB, I'd see him going to S. So maybe their primary package is JPJ/Wallace on the outside, Pat Pete & Minkah as S, Kazee as NCB. I could endorse that group, even though that'll be far from perfect at outside CB.

yeah disagree. Hilton had unique downhill abilities that compensated for his below average coverage abilities, and kind of created a platoon position for himself that doesn’t normally exist.

But for the most part, you have the third CB out to match up with passing personnel, and they are going to pass ~75% of the time, and your main job is to cover. Other than an extreme outlier case of a Mike Hilton on your roster, you will always be better off putting your best three corners on the field; if the #3 guy is truly lacking in the physical part of the game, you may very well flip one of your top two to the interior in more likely running situations, but it should generically be your 3rd best CB coming on. Really, the top two CBs are who really need to be strong against the run; they’re the ones always staying on the field when the offense shows run.

Being short and small and slow and bad in coverage are not positives for slot corners. They’re bad things. But somewhere along the line people started believing that was the prototype: it’s not. Those are just bad things that are easier to hide inside than outside. Teams just don’t usually have three big fast corners that can cover, so the crappy one plays inside.

I'm not suggesting to use smaller or shorter DBs as slots, nor slots with bad coverage. I'm saying they are closer to the point of attack and so have to be more physical. And most teams in the NFL do their running on 1st/2nd downs from 3WR sets, which are the sets they use 2/3 of the time.

I wouldn't use Deion Sanders as the slot CB on a team with Rod Woodson and Mel Blount on the outside-- not in a million years. I'm also not sure I'd use one of the other two in the slot, either. Covering in the slot is about dealing with two-way go while reading run, so it's not for everyone, [particularly if you've been used to using the sideline as an aid in coverage.

[Mick]

I’d have deion outside, and blount or woodson slot. Mike Hilton, Nickelback Jesus, would not touch the field in any 3 cb down or distance.

[Scunge]

I suspected this move would happen, he was a limited player and also, cap-wise, he was among 4 players that aren't making too much, but enough that collectively it will make a difference once they are all cut.

You cut Maulet, and Gunner, and Witherspoon and Adams and that goes a long way to give you the cushion heading into the season after giving Alex Highsmith his extension.

One name that everybody forgets and who is on the team, is Duke Dawson.

He was a 2nd round pick of NE, didn't pan out for Belichick, and honestly, he hasn't been able to stay healthy to even show if he can play in the NFL.

At Florida, he was a very good slot CB, and very good in coverage. Now he has bounced around the NFL, played for Denver for two years and then tried with Carolina and they cut him, we signed him in October to Practice Squad and then to a reserve contract in January.

Am I pinning my hopes to Duke Dawson? Is he the answer at slot CB?? Well, who is to say, maybe?? All I know is that we once upon a time signed a player cut from NE to our practice squad and then he proceeded to become our slot CB too, that player was Mike Hilton.

Dawson has that pedigree and talent from college but injuries have gotten in the way of him proving that he belongs in the NFL.

There are some old 30-ish slot corners like Bryce Callahan that are still available in free agency, and maybe some will be cut as teams sort out their rosters. Remember when we were able to pick up Brice McCain one year out of the blue? This was 2014, he played one year for us, had 3 INTs, returned one for a TD and was a decent slot CB, I remember LeBeau signed him later to play for him when he was coaching the Titans defense.

Still a lot of time for it to work itself all out.

[Ice]

Slot receivers of any era would need to come off the field and head to the locker room for a pants change if they saw Blount or Woodson lined up at NCB.

[Pitty Smitty]

Omar continues to impress! He's continuing the purge of bums off this roster. There are still more but I'm impressed so far.

[franco32]

My number one priority in a slot corner is someone with quickness and lateral agility who is tough enough to support the run. He could be big or small. Obviously being bigger is great if you can still have the agility to cover quick guys in the middle of the field.

Putting a tall physical corner in there is fine but he better be able to stop on a dime and handle the shifty guys.