A look at what the Steelers' 2016 opponents from the NFC East Division have been up to in free agency:
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NEW YORK GIANTS*
*Departed: DE Robert Ayers (Tampa Bay), CB Prince Amukamara (Jacksonville), OL Geoff Schwartz (cut/Detroit), WR Rueben Randle (Philadelphia).
Arrived: DL Damon Harrison (New York Jets), CB Janoris Jenkins (St. Louis), DE Olivier Vernon (Miami), LB Keenan Robinson (Washington).
Re-signed: DE Jason Pierre-Paul, LB Jasper Brinkley, LS Zak DeOssie.
Bottom Line: There have been some relatively high-profile comings and goings as the Giants embrace life after Tom Coughlin. Ayers had nine-and-a-half sacks last season, Randle caught 57 passes for 797 yards and eight TDs and Amukamara was a former first-round pick (19th overall in 2011). Vernon has 25.5 sacks, 65 quarterback hits and has appeared in 46 consecutive games since becoming a starter for the Dolphins three games into the 2013 season. Jenkins tied the NFL rookie record with three pick-sixes in 2012 (Ronnie Lott, 1981; Lem Barney, 1967) and has 10 career interceptions and six career defensive TDs in four seasons.
DALLAS COWBOYS
Departed: G Mackenzy Bernadeau (Jacksonville), RB Robert Turbin (Indianapolis), QB Matt Cassel (Tennessee).
Arrived: DE Benson Mayowa (Oakland), DT Cedric Thornton (Philadelphia), RB Alfred Morris (Washington), OL Joe Looney (Tennessee).
Re-signed: RB Lance Dunbar, OL Charles Brown, LB Rolando McClain, TE James Hanna, CB Josh Thomas, LB Kyle Wilber, CB Morris Claiborne.
Bottom Line: Establishing depth at running back was apparently an off-season priority in Dallas. Morris brings 4,713 rushing yards over the last four seasons as a complement to Darren McFadden (1,089 rushing yards with the Cowboys last season). Dunbar is coming off ACL surgery but flashed as a pass-catching threat out of the backfield in the first three games last season. Looney can play guard or center (something Bernadeau had done in Dallas).
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Steelers agreed to terms with DL Ricardo Mathews on a one-year contract. Photos by AP.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES*
*Departed: DT Cedric Thornton (Dallas), QB Thaddeus Lewis (San Francisco).
Arrived: G Brandon Brooks (Houston), S Rodney McLeod (St. Louis), CB Leodis McKelvin (Buffalo), CB Ron Brooks (Buffalo), QB Chase Daniel (Kansas City), WR Chris Givins (Baltimore), WR Seantavius Jones (New Orleans), WR Rueben Randle (New York Giants), LB Nigel Bradham (Buffalo).
Re-signed: QB Sam Bradford, DE Vinny Curry, LB Najee Goode, CB Nolan Carroll II.
Bottom Line: New head coach Doug Pederson's first priority was to solidify the quarterback position and that mission has apparently been accomplished. Bradford was retained before being exposed to free agency and Daniel lines up as the new backup (Mark Sanchez was traded to Denver). Daniel brings familiarity to the position based on the time he spent in Kansas City when Pederson was the Chiefs' offensive coordinator.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Departed: QB Robert Griffin III (cut/Cleveland), RB Alfred Morris (Dallas), DE Frank Kearse (New England), LB Keenan Robinson (New York Giants).
Arrived: LB Terence Garvin (Pittsburgh), S David Bruton Jr. (Denver), TE Vernon Davis (Denver), DE Kendall Reyes (San Diego).
Re-signed: QB Kirk Cousins (franchise tag), CB Will Blackmon, LB Mason Foster, LB Junior Galette, DE Kendric Golston, S Duke Ihenacho, C Josh LeRibeus, TE Logan Paulsen, QB Colt McCoy.
Bottom Line: Morris won't be returning but the Redskins saw to it that starters at quarterback (Cousins), cornerback (Blackmon) and center (LeRibeus) would be back. And Paulsen started 42 of 75 career games at tight end (12 in 2014) before missing last season due to turf toe. Davis didn't catch a pass in three playoff games in the Broncos' Super Bowl run.
