Every year, members of NFL front offices are faced with difficult choices, such as which players to draft, which players to sign, and when to let players walk. The Steelers front office is no different.
Kevin Colbert and his staff have made a number of great moves in their days, like moving up to draft Troy Polamalu or signing Ryan Clark in free agency. However, they weren’t without their mistakes either. In recent years, the Steelers drafted Artie Burns in the first round and gave Ladarius Green a big contract despite major medical concerns.
NFL teams are faced with difficult decisions on a daily basis, but that’s just part of the job description. Sometimes it’s up to the players to prove their worth to the organization.
Here are my 3 Steelers with the most to prove in 2019:
Bud Dupree, EDGE
Dupree isn’t a bust on the level of Artie Burns or Jarvis Jones, but to say he has been underwhelming would be an understatement.
The Steelers made a bold move by electing to pick up Dupree’s fifth-year option earlier this off-season – paying him a guaranteed salary of $9.2M in 2019. Pittsburgh did all of this despite the fact that Dupree never earned more than 6.0 sacks in a singles season during his first 4 years in the league.
Though injuries have hindered Dupree’s production at times, the former Kentucky edge rusher has a lot to prove when it comes to getting after the quarterback. The Steelers rolled the dice on Dupree with the fifth-year option. Even if he performs well this year, would Pittsburgh feel comfortable enough giving him a lucrative deal in 2020?
Sean Davis, FS
2015 second round draft choice, Sean Davis, is in a similar situation as Dupree. Davis is coming off his best performance of his career in 2018. According to Pro Football Focus, Davis earned an above average grade of 69.8 – ranking him as the 40th best safety in the NFL this past season.
Though Sean Davis has proved to be a reliable player in the back end for the Steelers, Pittsburgh has reasons for concern when discussing a new contract for the 4th year safety.
Despite starting 40 games over the past three seasons, Sean Davis is responsible for just 5 interceptions. The Steelers are trying to get play-makers in the back half of the defense. Though Sean Davis is a reliable tackler with good range and athleticism, would the Steelers be willing to extend his contract if he can’t take the ball away?
James Washington, WR
James Washington is a player the Steelers were very high on during the draft process a year ago. Pittsburgh took him in the 2nd round last season, but he failed to live up to the hype in his rookie campaign as he was less than stellar.
The Steelers paid decent money to Donte Moncrief this off-season, and spend the 66th overall pick on receiver Diontae Johnson. The Steelers can say what they want to the media, but I’m sure they have their doubts about the former Oklahoma State wide receiver.
Fortunately for Pittsburgh, they have a few more seasons before they would have to decide to give James Washington a contract extension. Any time you invest high in a player like Washington, you want to give them ample opportunity to succeed. With some new Steelers receivers in the mix, Washington will have a lot to prove in 2019.