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Following Ben Roethlisberger and DeAngelo Williams contracts, Steelers have salary cap space to fill

Ben Roethlisberger and DeAngelo Williams are both signed to new contracts, and the moves leave the Steelers with some money to spend in free agency.

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a team which never has massive amounts of salary cap space when the new NFL season rolls around, and 2015 is no different. The Steelers were cap strapped until players like Mike Mitchell, Maurkice Pouncey and Marcus Gilbert restructured their current deals to free up more cap space.

More moves were made at the end of last week when Ben Roethlisberger received a healthy new contract extension and the Steelers brought in DeAngelo Williams to help secure the depth at the running back position. With those moves made, the Steelers are now $6.24 million dollars under the salary cap, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette.

That number could change drastically if a few events take place in the near future. If the Steelers release Troy Polamalu, or he decides to retire, the move would save the team $3.75 million in salary cap space. If this move happens post June 1st, it would save the team $6 million dollars in cap space.

The team wants to extend Cameron Heyward's contract, as his current 5th year club option is $6.9 million dollars towards the salary cap this season and a contract extension could certainly lower that number dramatically for the upcoming season.

So what to do with the extra funds the Steelers are creating one way or another? The team has brought in several defensive backs in hopes of signing someone like Patrick Robinson or Sterling Moore to help bolster a very porous secondary. The team also might want to invest within it's own locker room by trying to extend left tackle Kelvin Beachum's contract.

The Steelers are not done making moves this offseason, and after Roethlisberger and Williams' contracts the team still has money left to make those moves.