Late on the sixth day since NFL teams were free to negotiate with this offseason’s free agents, the Pittsburgh Steelers nabbed one of the biggest names left.
Security guard Isaac Seumalo agreed to a three-year contract with the Steelers, a source confirmed late Saturday night. Seumalo entered free duty as one of the best offensive linemen available after being a Pro Bowl alternate for the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles last season.
The 6-foot-4, 303-pound Seumalo was rated the ninth-best guard in the NFL by Pro Football Focus in 2022, in which he allowed just one sack. Seumalo, 29, started all 20 games for the Eagles last season. It was the final year of a three-year, $15.9 million extension he signed to stay with Philadelphia, the team that drafted him in the third round in 2016.
Seumalo was a right-hand guard last season, but before that most of his 60 career starts were left-handed.
Adding Seumalo was a surprise move two days after the Steelers introduced another veteran guard – Nate Herbig – as a free signing. A common thread between the two? Both played for the Eagles. That’s notable because Steelers assistant general manager Andy Weidl was hired by the Eagles last year.
Although Herbig spent 2022 with the New York Jets, he and Seumalo were teammates in Philadelphia from 2019-2021.
The addition of both brings the composition of the Steelers’ offensive lineup into the air in the interior. James Daniels and Mason Cole were signed last spring as veteran free agents to staff the right guard and center, respectively. Kevin Dotson, who enters the final year of his contract, is the incumbent starter at left guard. Dotson is considered the Steelers lineman whose grip on a starting performance is most in jeopardy.
Prior to playing more than 96% of Philadelphia’s offensive snaps last season, Seumalo had missed 21 of the Eagles’ 33 games in 2020 and 2021 due to injury. A foot ailment ended Seumalo’s 2021 season in Week 3.
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Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris via email at cadamski@triblive.com or via Twitter .