Pittsburgh Steelers sign WR Levi Wentz

Levi Wentz's one-year, $885K deal with Pittsburgh earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI) — a fair-value proposition that reflects modest production at a modest price, with zero margin for error. At $885K AAV, this is replacement-level money for a depth wide receiver, and the Steelers are banking on exactly that: a low-cost lottery ticket at a position where development and special-teams contribution can justify roster space. The contract carries no dead-cap risk and minimal cap consequence, which is the saving grace — if Wentz doesn't stick or contributes minimally, the financial sting is negligible. The CVI verdict hinges on expectation alignment: he's not being asked to be a star receiver, and the deal doesn't pay him like one, so the value equation stays balanced rather than swinging into bargain or overpay territory. What tips this toward fair rather than good value is the ceiling — even if he develops into a solid reserve role, the output cap on a sub-$1M contract limits how much surplus value he can generate. For a preseason signing in an offseason context, this is exactly the kind of low-risk, low-cost depth move that needs no justification; the true measure will come in training camp and the regular season, where role clarity determines whether fair value becomes value or regret.