The 5 O’Clock Club: The Commanders signed free agent CB from the Pittsburgh Steelers

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In yesterday’s 5 O’Clock Club, we looked at the career of Noah Igbinoghene, a 2020 first-round pick of the Dolphins who never really established himself with Miami. Igbinoghene was traded to the Cowboys in a player trade last year, but spent most of the 2023 season on the inactive list. From then, he followed his coaches Joe Whitt and Dan Quinn to here, when he signed with the Commanders as a free agent in March.

Today I thought it would be good to take a look at Washington’s other cornerback, James Pierre, who was signed as a free agent and is in direct competition with Igbinoghene for a roster spot. Like Igbinoghene, Pierre entered the NFL in the 2020 COVID season; unlike Igbinoghene, Pierre went undrafted by Florida Atlantic (the alma mater of Redskins running back Alfred Morris). He signed with the Steelers in 2020, played 3 seasons under his UDFA contract, then signed a one-year extension with them in 2023. His pre-NFL history is interesting: He changed schools and positions on the way to an eventual NFL roster spot:

James Pierre committed to play football at the University of Miami (Florida) before his penultimate year of high school was over. The safety from Deerfield Beach had been a lifelong Hurricanes fan and signed that same day. A year later, however, the Huricanes had fired coach Al Golden and James Pierre withdrew his commitment. He was offered a scholarship to North Carolina and signed to play there, but the school turned him down. Syracuse was next, he signed, they accepted him, but the NCAA ruled Pierre ineligible.

Pierre didn’t plan on playing NCAA football in 2016, but he joined Florida Atlantic as a freshman in 2017 after meeting NCAA requirements and gaining eligibility. It’s a long way from a high school star on a scholarship to the Miami Hurricanes to a player who transfers to Florida Atlantic a year behind the rest of the class. He played on special teams his freshman season and earned playing time as a safety over the course of the season. Midway through his sophomore season, he got the chance to start at cornerback, and he didn’t look back: He started 22 games in his second and third years and earned honorable mention in Conference USA.

Pierre left school early, but at the same age he would have done so had his freshman season not been postponed. He was traded as a third-day draft pick, but fell out of the draft entirely and signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent.

As a rookie, Pierre, like most undrafted college free agents, was almost exclusively a special teams player; he was on the field for just 27 defensive snaps, most of them in Week 18 before a playoff game. But he had something of a mini-breakout season in 2021, when he was on the field for 36% of the Steelers’ defensive snaps. He followed that up with a 2022 season in which he played 24% of the defensive snaps. Those aren’t bad numbers for a backup cornerback playing on a team that made the playoffs in 3 of his 4 seasons.

However, Pierre’s contributions to the Pittsburgh team came primarily on special teams, and even when his defensive snap counts dropped back to the numbers he had as a rookie in 2023, he was viewed as a valuable contributor to the roster that would return to Pittsburgh for a fifth season:

Four-year veteran cornerback James Pierre played a career-low 26 defensive snaps in 2023. He also played a career-high 264 snaps on special teams.

And that’s fine. Actually, that doesn’t mean that he tilt play defense. He’s proven in the past that he’s a decent backup. The Steelers, surprisingly, just didn’t really need him in 2023. They had Joey Porter Jr. as a rookie who came through, and they had their veterans in Levi Wallace, Patrick Peterson and Chandon Sullivan. The defense also relied on three safeties – at least that was the case when the Steelers had three safeties available.

He is still the Steelers’ best shooter in the punt coverage teamwhat his main task is.

Pierre is …an experienced depth option that could potentially be your fourth cornerback on the outside with a little penny action.

In 674 defensive snaps (that’s about 11 games for a full-time player) in the 2021-22 season, Pierre had 8 passes defensed, 2 interceptions, and 3 forced fumbles. He has proven that he is capable of playing as a defensive backup on a good team.

Comparison of the two free agents from Washington

Pierre’s special teams skills contrast with that of Noah Igbinoghene, who hasn’t been a full-time special teams player since his rookie season. Igbinoghene played 228 ST snaps over the last three seasons (’21-23), which is fewer than Pierre played in 2023 alone.

Both players – Pierre and Igbinoghene – are backup CBs who play primarily as boundary defenders, although Pierre’s experience as a safety with the Miami Hurricanes suggests he has some positional flexibility when needed. On defense, Igbinoghene has 628 snaps in 37 games while Pierre has 727 snaps in 66 games. After three seasons, the Steelers extended Pierre’s contract while the Dolphins traded Igbinoghene to the Cowboys. Pierre has over 900 career snaps as a 4-phase special teams player; Igbinoghene has less than 500 ST snaps,

The fight for the last place in the CB squad

I believe this will be one of the more intense position battles in training camp and the preseason this year. With Mike Sainristil and Quan Martin both capable of playing nickelback and Davis, Forbes and St-Juste as three likely solid players for the boundary corners, there will only be one or two backup spots available on the roster. I believe special teams play could be the difference or a deciding factor in keeping the last cornerback in the order, which could benefit James Pierre.

In terms of contract and salary cap, there are many similarities between the two free agent deals. Both players have a base salary of $1.125 million; each has a roster bonus and a workout bonus. Pierre has per-game bonuses (Igbinoghene does not), and Pierre’s guaranteed salary is $50,000 while Igbinoghene’s is $200,000. There is a difference of only $4,000 in their estimated salary cap numbers. In short, contract structure is unlikely to be a factor in final roster decisions.

In addition to the two free agents signed in March, the Commanders have four players returning to the position and competing for backup roles after signing with Washington in 2023:

• Christian Holmes
• Kyu Blu Kelly
• Tariq Castro Fields
• Nick Whiteside