Pittsburgh Steelers

5 players the Steelers must move on from in 2016

Published Jan. 20, 2016 4:00 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Pittsburgh Steelers came up short of expectations as injuries to their top players proved to be too much to overcome. Much of the front office's offseason work will undoubtedly focus on the defensive side of the ball. Here are five players that general manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin should allow to walk away from Pittsburgh this offseason.

1. Mike Vick

Vick went from being out of a job to starting in less than two months. We've know for quite some time that Vick's best days are behind him, but to see him outperformed by Landry Jones is basically the writing on the wall for the 15-year veteran. Vick has proven to be a good teammate as his career has descended, but it doesn't make much sense for Pittsburgh to bring him back.

2. Mike Adams

The Steelers' second-round pick from 2012 has failed to live up to expectations. After missing the entire season with a back injury, Adams has ceded his role as the team's No. 3 tackle to Alejandro Villanueva. Now that his rookie contract is up, Adams is likely to find a contract elsewhere.

3. Cortez Allen

Allen's 2015 season ended after just one game due to a knee injury, adding to the disappointment that has come since signing a $24 million contract extension just prior to the 2014 season. Even Mike Tomlin was unusually frank at his season-ending press conference when speaking of Allen's future, saying he wasn't confident in the corner's ability to become an impact player. That is as much of an indictment from Tomlin as one will get. Consider Allen as good as gone unless something major happens. Releasing him after June 1 will result in a $4.4 million cap savings, but will leave over $1.3 in dead money.

4. Shamarko Thomas

Thomas was supposed to be the heir apparent to Steelers legendary safety Troy Polamalu this season. Instead, he barely got off the bench. Thomas dressed for 15 games, but only saw 20 defensive snaps the entire season. The fourth-round pick has one year left on his rookie contract. His budget-friendly salary may be the only thing keeping him in Pittsburgh for another year.

5. Cam Thomas

Thomas followed up a disappointing first season in Pittsburgh with another in 2015. He played in less than 12 snaps per game, according to Football Outsiders. The fact that Cameron Heyward was left asking for more help and less reps on the defensive line next season shows that Thomas wasn't getting the job done as a backup. Expect the Steelers to add depth up front through the draft while letting Thomas walk in free agency.

*All salary cap information comes from OverTheCap.com.