Welcome to The Terrible Take, a daily segment telling Steeler Nation what's on our minds.

I'm Melanie Friedlander.

Now that the NFL Combine is over, NFL executives will turn their attention to free agency,

looking to bolster their team's roster with valuable players who are available to sign with the highest bidder,

or less commonly, the best team and player fit.

Free agency officially begins on March 11th at 4 p.m.

Eastern Time, which is the first moment that contracts can be signed. The legal tampering period

runs from March 9th at noon Eastern time up until that moment. We all know it's a joke.

Just because there's a legal tampering period doesn't mean that there isn't illegal tampering

that goes on for weeks. In some cases, it may happen before the season is even over.

And plenty of discussions happen in Indianapolis over coffee or drinks as agents and GMs casually chat.

Last year, the Steelers proposed an NFL rule change that was approved by NFL owners,

allowing teams to have a video chat with up to five

players, each lasting up to one hour during the legal tampering period. It was a smart idea that allowed

teams to talk with players they may not know off the field prior to offering them multi-million

dollar contracts. Without that, teams could make expensive mistakes, bringing in players that

might be talented but don't fit on a personal level.

I would like to see that rule expanded this year. Why limit it to five players? We all know that widespread tampering happens every offseason. We all know that the league has no intention of policing it.

It makes sense to drop the limit on how many players each team can meet virtually. Free agent

signings are a key part of building NFL rosters. Teams are going to have as much contact with players

and agents as possible. The league should give them more opportunities to do it face to face.

Be sure to follow us at Steelers Depot.com and check out episodes of The Terrible Take every day at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.

...