Pittsburgh Steelers Could Unlock Connor Heyward's Potential By Signing This Key Free Agent

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed Derek Watt three seasons ago after he became a free agent. Watt is extremely popular in the locker room, is an excellent special teams player and is the brother of the best football player on the roster, TJ Watt. He has started seven games in three years for the Steelers and carried the ball ten times for the black and gold.

Sadly, it is time for the Steelers to part ways with Watt. The Steelers have a better option and fit with Connor Heyward. Watt is on the wrong side of 30 and the team cannot afford to keep an aging fullback and an undersized tight end. Especially when the undersized tight end has massive potential in filling a role similar to Kyle Jusczyk for the San Francisco 49ers.

Heyward has played so well that he earned more playing time, but a six-foot tight end is a novelty, a fullback who is such a good pass catcher he was able to play tight end is a weapon few teams enjoy. There are solutions in the mid-rounds of the NFL draft for more traditional tight ends to add to the pair of Zach Gentry and Pat Freiermuth but there is also a viable solution in free agency so that the Steelers can maximize their efforts to shore up the line of scrimmage.

Foster Moreau is entering free agency and the former fourth-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders should fly under the radar with bigger names like Mike Gesicki, Evan Engram, Dalton Schultz and Robert Tonyan Jr on the open market. Moreau has started 25 games for the Raiders over the past two seasons and has done a solid job filling in for Darren Waller in the passing game when he isn’t available as the primary tight end.

Gentry is an excellent blocker and has improved as a receiver for the Steelers. He fills a definitive need for the Steelers and unless he gets an inflated offer, should be retained. Steelers fans were often frustrated with Gentry’s use in the screen game and adding Moreau who is also a good blocker but a better pass catcher would improve the results if Matt Canada continues to insist on using that play.

It could also help disguise the offense’s intent to run or pass. Canada was keeping Freiermuth off the field on 25-50 percent of the plays during the winning streak to close the season. Freiermuth is too good to sit out that often and his presence on the field didn’t guarantee a pass, but it was far more likely. Defenses look for tendencies and with an already predictable offense, the Steelers need all the subterfuge they can get.

Two tight end sets, with a bruising pair of running backs in Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, are extremely effective in today’s NFL. Especially when the running backs are excellent receivers, which both Harris and Warren have demonstrated. Freiermuth and Moreau would present matchup problems for linebackers and safeties in heavy personnel. 

If you go with George Pickens alone on the outside with Heyward on the field, it could open easy opportunities on max protect deep routes for Pickens, especially if they can run effectively from the set. Pickens has the added benefit of being the best blocking receiver the Steelers have on the roster. If Pickens is covered by the trio of Moreau, Heyward and Freiermuth, it would be a nightmare scenario for most defenses underneath. 

Moreau is young, he is only 25 and should not be too expensive and likely would be more effective than a fourth or fifth-round tight end that has to learn the system. The Steelers love to target players like Moreau in free agency, he is trending upward and won't break the bank. Heyward is capable of being the third tight end next season, but as a fullback/weapon, he could help the offense reach the next level of production. The amount of flexibility they would potentially gain on offense is worth the risk.