Swapping out David DeCastro for Trai Turner will save the Pittsburgh Steelers $5.75 million in salary-cap space in 2021.
The veteran guard’s signing was made official Friday, and it is a one-year, $3 million deal. DeCastro’s release Thursday saved the Steelers $8.75 million on the salary cap.
DeCastro still will account for just more than $5.5 million on the team’s cap this season, which was to be the final year of a five-year, $50 extension he signed in 2016. That became the middle season of three consecutive years DeCastro was named first- or second-team AP All Pro and the second of six consecutive seasons he was honored as a Pro Bowl player.
But Turner also was named to a Pro Bowl roster each season 2015-19, albeit his Pro Bowl streak ended in 2020 while DeCastro’s endured. The Los Angeles Chargers saved $11.5 in cap space by releasing Turner in February following his first season with the team.
David DeCastro’s release has Steelers fans looking forward and backward. Neither view is appetizing, writes @MarkMaddenXhttps://t.co/R1gN3ylzNh
— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) June 25, 2021
Turner is three years younger than DeCastro, who was released with a non-football injury designation and was not healthy enough to participate in mandatory minicamp last week.
Among the 86 guards who played the most snaps in the NFL last season, Turner was graded third-worst overall and dead last in run blocking by Pro Football Focus’ subjective ratings. The Chargers also had the NFL’s worst run-block win rate in 2021, according to ESPN data analyzing individual players over each snap.
The maligned Steelers 2020 offensive line ranked 24th in run block win rate. DeCastro was rated 42nd among 86 qualifying guards by PFF.
The Steelers have an estimated $12 million remaining under their 2021 salary cap.
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