If Joe Haden wants Mike Hilton to stay with Steelers, he should stop being such a good agent

If Mike Hilton’s free-agent market value gets too rich for the Steelers’ blood, general manager Kevin Colbert can thank one of Hilton’s teammates.

Fellow cornerback Joe Haden.

The veteran Steelers defensive back called Hilton the “best nickel corner in the game” on Monday.

Best nickel in the GAME!!! https://t.co/n2EpkefKhR

— Joe Haden (@joehaden23) March 8, 2021

That drew a challenge from New Orleans Saints slot corner C.J. Gardner-Johnson. But Haden stuck to his guns and rebuffed that claim from his fellow Florida Gator, not only tabbing Hilton in front of Gardner-Johnson but Indianapolis Colts nickelback Kenny Moore II, too.

Love u my fellow Gator Great! But I got you at around 3. Mike Hilton and Kenny Moore 1A and 1B. No disrespect https://t.co/aAWG7IhDcO

— Joe Haden (@joehaden23) March 9, 2021

Haden and his opposite corner Steven Nelson are both under contract for the Steelers through the end of this season. Haden at $15.5 million. Nelson at $14.4 million. Many have wondered if the Steelers will release one of those two in an effort to keep either Hilton or fellow corner free-agent-to-be Cameron Sutton.

But at least for now, Haden appears to be almost acting as Hilton’s agent.

If it’s me, I keep Haden and Nelson if at all possible. Even if that means losing the other two. I know I’m in the minority there. But if you bothered to keep Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback in the interest of chasing the playoffs, it’s best to keep in place the most effective corner tandem you’ve had in a decade. And then figure it out after next year. Maybe rework both deals to get the cap number lower.

If you’ve visited this page before, you know I’m a fan of both Hilton and Sutton. So I don’t say that lightly.

However, if the Steelers haven’t figured out that Sutton is worthy of being an outside starting corner by now, they’d only be talking themselves into such a decision if they shed Nelson or Haden for cap reasons to keep him at a lower price.

In terms of Hilton, he is uniquely important to the Steelers defensive scheme for his blitzing talents from the slot position and his work in the run game.

Is he going to be just as regularly deployed in those roles with another team, though? Or is he going to be asked to be more of a straight-cover guy in the slot? Hilton isn’t bad in that regard. But the blitzing and tenacity and physicality he brings on the inside is what makes him special.

Hilton himself even mentioned on SiriusXM’s “Movin’ the Chains” show that he still prefers to play inside wherever he goes.

Does that keep his price down to the degree that the Steelers want to keep him? I don’t know. Have they talked themselves into thinking they “need” to keep him? Unlikely, or they would’ve locked him up before this season.

Personally, I think now that head coach Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Keith Butler have seen Hilton evolve that position, maybe they let him go and treat slot corner as a specific area of need and draft someone who is a little bigger than Hilton. But a player who still has the quicks to cover shifty slot receivers in those tight, underneath spaces, while being a versatile blitzer as well.

Rare have been the years when I’ve thought to myself, “Boy. The Steelers have four capable corners that I’d really like to see them keep in free agency!”

This year, though, I do. And of all the pressing needs the franchise has as of right now, cornerback isn’t one of them for a change. Let’s just hope it stays that way after the first few hours of free agency.

I’m worried that it won’t.