Feb 13, 2017 5 min read

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Last week I laid out a blueprint for what the Steelers should do in this offseason. Now, we’ll look at what the team will do with some of its own free agents as it gets closer to the NFL free agency period.

The team has already made some important and under-the-radar moves, re-signing pending free agent long-snapper Greg Warren and signing some exclusive rights free agents such as fullback Rosie Nix and placekicker Chris Boswell.

The Steelers will make signing pending free agents Le’Veon Bell, Lawrence Timmons and James Harrison the priority, and rightfully so, but there are some other players who might surprise you who also could be back.

Here’s a look at some of those players and their odds of returning:

Jarvis Jones (100-1) – Jones’ pass-rushing skills didn’t translate to the NFL because he lacked the explosiveness to close the gap quickly. He’s decent against the run and has shown some knack for playing zone pass defense, but he’s not a pass rusher. A change of scenery will do him good. He can play in the NFL, just not in this particular scheme.

DeAngelo Williams (75-1) – Williams has been a good soldier and solid backup to Le’Veon Bell, helping the Steelers through a pair of Bell suspensions and some injury issues. But he’ll be 34 next season and if the team places the franchise tag on Bell, they’ll need to put a solid rookie in the pipeline to serve as his backup in 2017 and potential replacement in 2018 if things go sour.

Shamarko Thomas (75-1) – Injuries have been an issue for Thomas as he constantly seems to be nicked up. He might be one of those athletes who are just too muscle-bound. He also flamed out in his shot at winning the starting job and was passed on the depth chart by Robert Golden. He was a solid special teams player when he played. But that hasn’t been often enough.

Bruce Gradkowski (75-1) – The last of the longshots. Gradkowski is well liked in the locker room, especially by Ben Roethlisberger, which carries some weight. But he can’t stay healthy. There’s a good chance his career is over.

Cody Wallace (25-1) – This is still a pretty long shot, but B.J. Finney and Chris Hubbard got opportunities to play because Wallace was injured last season. And both showed they can be solid contributors. Wallace did a fine job filling in for Maurkice Pouncey in 2015 and you can never have enough line depth. But the Steelers have younger, cheaper backups.

Steven Johnson (20-1) – Signed to a one-year deal to provide depth and solid special teams play, Johnson was doing that when he suffered a broken leg that ended his season. He is a good special teams player and seemed to fit in well in the locker room. Perhaps another one-year deal?

Ricardo Mathews (10-1) – Mathews gave the Steelers what they needed last season, a veteran backup to play behind Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt. He played through an ankle injury when the Steelers needed him and wound up making five starts, recording 14 tackles and a sack. But L.T. Walton and Johnny Maxie also showed promise and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Steelers draft another young defensive lineman this year to add to their nickel package.

Landry Jones (5-1) – The guy everyone loves to hate isn’t as bad a backup as most think. He has completed 60 percent of his 141 career passes for 1,071 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions. That’s good for a passer rating of 82.8. Is he the team’s future starter? No. But there are quarterbacks who are worse than Jones starting for teams around the league. He’ll turn 28 this year and there might be a team that wants to sign him to start for a year or two. But the Steelers would like him back.

David Johnson (5-1) – Johnson returned to the Steelers after spending time in San Diego and played a critical role as a blocking tight end and fullback when Nix was injured. Given the state of the team’s tight end position, he’s not a bad guy to keep around.

Markus Wheaton (4-1) – This one will surprise some people. A shoulder injury limited Wheaton to four games in 2016. It eventually required surgery. But that could be a blessing for the Steelers. Given that their doctors performed the surgery and would have a better idea of how bad the damage is/was, a one-year deal for Wheaton could make some sense. He had 44 catches for 749 yards and five scores in 2015 and is certainly a more proven player than Sammie Coates. Even if Martavis Bryant returns, having a top four of Antonio Brown, Bryant, Wheaton and Eli Rogers looks better than Brown, Bryant, Coates and Rogers.