Steelers sign TE Leonard Pope

The Steelers have signed their first free agent of the offseason.  They have agreed to a one year deal with TE Leonard Pope.




The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed TE Leonard Pope to a one year deal.  Pope was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2006 and spent the past three seasons playing for, new Offensive Coordinator, Todd Haley's Kansas City Chiefs.  Pope will backup Heath Miller.

Tight End was seen as a position of some need.  Last year, the Steelers went with Miller, Weslye Saunders, and David Johnson.  However, Saunders will miss the first four games of the season, serving a suspension for the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs and the Steelers have mostly used Johnson as an H-back.

Pope had a career year for receptions (24) and yard (247) in 2011, but scored only one touchdown.  It would be nice to see the Steelers take advantage of Pope's size (6'8" 264) in the red zone.  Other than Pope and Miller (6'5"), the Steelers pass receivers are lacking in the height department.  Assuming Mike Wallace stays with the Steelers this coming season, he is the only receiver that reaches 6 feet tall.  Antonio Brown is 5'10" and Emmanuel Sanders is only one inch taller than Brown. 

I originally thought that the Steelers would address the tight end position in the draft.  Ladarius Green from Louisiana-Lafayette, Taylor Thompson from Southern Methodist, and Kyle Fiederowicz from North Carolina State were three guys that I hoped the Steelers would take a good look at.  All three are big bodied players who are more likely to be threats in the passing game than as blockers.  The addition of Pope may allow the Steelers to focus on more pressing needs during the draft.