Su’a Cravens: “If the Pittsburgh Steelers called I would be there.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has recently transformed into one of the most thrilling defensive units in the entire NFL. Throughout the first five weeks of the season, they sit atop of defensive ranks such as sacks, interceptions, and fumble recoveries.
With that being said, there are some weaknesses I find the Steelers should address sooner rather than later. Pittsburgh’s inability to cover tight ends has been the defense’s main problem so far in 2019. Devin Bush has adjusted well in terms of covering the tight end position at this point in the year, but the same can not be said of counterpart Mark Barron.
Outside of his performance against the Cincinnati Bengals, Mark Barron has looked lost in coverage. One of the reasons the Steelers signed Barron was to have someone who can specialize in passing downs. The former first-round pick, after all, was a safety who transitioned to linebacker, so he has secondary experience.
The 2019 off-season addition just has not worked out. While I do not think Pittsburgh should cut Barron, I find they should try to bring in another versatile player who can play better alongside Devin Bush and Vince Williams, which leads me to a particular free agent on the market currently.
Su’a Cravens: Former second-round selection
The Pittsburgh Steelers should look into signing free agent Su’a Cravens. The former Washington Redskin and Denver Bronco would be a great addition to Pittsburgh’s linebackers. Just like Mark Barron, Cravens is experienced at both the safety and linebacker positions.
I find that Cravens is much more fitting for the role that Barron plays on the Steelers defense. During his rookie year with the Washington Redskins, Cravens finished with an impressive 33 total tackles; five passes defended an interception and one sack over the course of eleven games. Sadly, his rookie season ended prematurely with an injury to his arm.
When Su’a Cravens went down, there was speculation inside Washington’s organization that he could have played through his injury. This was the start of a fallout between the player and the franchise. The speculation led to Su’a sitting out all of the 2017 NFL seasons.
Cravens recently stated on Twitter how he believes the Redskins misdiagnosed his arm injury at the time. With all of the cultural problems surrounding Washington, I would not be surprised if that was the case, after all.
How committed is Su’a Cravens?
After sitting out all of 2017, the Washington Redskins traded Su’a Cravens to the Denver Broncos in 2018. After a year in Denver, Cravens was cut during this past pre-season as a safety. If this safety-linebacker hybrid were open to transitioning full-time to the linebacker position, I find he would be a great addition for the Pittsburgh Steelers. If able to pass his physical, this would add even more versatility to a well-rounded Steelers defense.
Now the question has to be asked, how committed is Su’a Cravens to football at the moment? After having a conversation with the free agent over Instagram and asking him his thoughts on a potential home with the Steelers: He went on to state that “If the Pittsburgh Steelers called, I would be there.” To me, that sounds like a player more eager than ever to get another chance on the field.
Next. Key Matchups for the Pittsburgh Steelers as they take on the Los Angeles Chargers. dark
Su’a Cravens’s potential is too high for his career to waste away at home. The former second-round selection deserves another NFL opportunity, will he get one?