Should the Steelers move on from Terrell Edmunds in 2020?

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a great defensive year, especially from their secondary. Although Joe Haden, Steven Nelson, and Minkah Fitzpatrick had stellar years, safety Terrell Edmunds seemed to be the weak link.

The Steelers had a stretch in recent years where defensive back was the number one need going into the off-season. This will be the first year that is not the case but, that does not mean there is no room for improvement at the position.

While the three listed above all came via trade or free agency, Terrell Edmunds came via the 2018 NFL draft. This pick was a shock due to where he was projected and his lack of big production in college.

Edmunds played in 35 career games at Virginia Tech but only came away with six interceptions and one forced fumble. He had high tackle numbers but never seemed to make the big play as often as you’d like someone you’re picking in the first to do so.

Still then, the Steelers saw something in him to take him with their choice. Now, this is not a bash Edmunds post as I do like him as a player but, his development has not been as quick or as quality as we had hoped.

This should not have come as a shock, however, as the Steelers have multiple failed or disappointing high defensive back picks in recent memory. From Cortez Allen to Shamarko Thomas to Artie Burns, it seems the Steelers find good athletes that don’t translate well to the NFL or only show flashes their whole career.

Edmunds is no exception to this as it stands today. He is still young, but should the Steelers consider moving on sooner than later?

Why the Steelers should move on from Terrell Edmunds

The Steelers secondary was very good from the moment Minkah Fitzpatrick stepped foot in Pittsburgh. He seemed to be the missing piece that got the unit where many fans have longed for them to be.

The duo of Joe Haden and Steven Nelson brought much-needed stability to the Steelers defensive backfield to begin the season but the safety spot was still lacking with Edmunds and Sean Davis early on.

The Steelers saw the opportunity to get a budding star safety and took the shot. They acquired Fitzpatrick for a first-round pick (now 18th overall) and various other pick swaps.

Fitzpatrick stepped in and immediately brought splash plays and a frightening presence over the top that Pittsburgh hasn’t had since some guy named Troy with long black hair. It helped solidify the secondary into one of the better units in the league as they finished ranked third in pass defense and second in interceptions.

Most units always have a weak link and Edmunds, the former first-rounder, was it for Pittsburgh in 2019. He was the only starting member of the secondary to fail to record at least one interception on the year.

Edmunds was a shocking pick based on projections as some felt they could have taken him in the second or third round. He is a very raw athlete which is the type the Steelers seem to love.

The problem with that it the raw athleticism has yet to translate to big plays from him at the safety position. Below is a tweet from our own site expert Tommy Jaggi (give him a follow here):

As you can see in the tweet, Edmunds was the clear-cut weak link in the secondary this season. The disparity from his running-mate at safety (Fitzpatrick) is over triple the rating allowed.

Some of this is due to him being targeted so much due to other teams noticing he is the weakest spot of the defense. This could go a long way in deciding whether they need to address his spot as starter in 2020.

Why the Steelers should not move on from Terrell Edmunds

While he was clearly the weak link in the secondary, it is important to remember he has only finished his second year in the league. He was raw coming out and has shown improvement, although it has not been as big of a jump as you’d like to see.

He has started 31 of 32 possible games since being drafted. After being drafted it was expected he would have time to learn with Pittsburgh signing Morgan Burnett in free agency and was expected to be the starter.

After Burnett was hurt, Edmunds was thrust into the starting spot permanently to date. This resulted in a trial-by-fire begin to his career.

Being a raw prospect, this is a less than ideal situation for both the team and player. Although it is not an excuse for a player selected in the first round, it certainly plays a part in the development of said player.

Edmunds did finish second on the team in tackles (105) behind 2019’s first-round pick Devin Bush (109). He has improved as a tackler over the last year as he had just 78 in 16 games in 2018.

His tackling is the least of his worries when it comes to his role as a player as it does little to make up for his coverage. His lack of splash plays is what is frustrating and will need to be fixed.

Edmunds turns 23 on January 20th and that plays to his advantage. He has two more seasons, at least, before his contract is up so he has time to show he deserves a second contract here.

The biggest and most simply explained reason for not moving on is money. According to OTC’s cap calculator, cutting Edmunds this off-season actually loses the Steelers around $2.2M in cap space.

Conclusion

The Steelers are in a tough spot with Edmunds. He is clearly a weak link of the defense and that cannot be ignored.

Being 23 years old when the 2020 season gets underway, he is still young enough to find himself and break out to remove his weak link tag. Bud Dupree is in his fifth season and finally broke out for double-digit sacks in 2019 so it can be done.

With the surrounding pieces in the secondary, they can get by with him being the starter for now. He has time to develop into the partner they need next to Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Edmunds has raw athleticism and youth on his side but he needs to show something soon in 2020. The Steelers need to see marked improvement next season to avoid having to take major steps to find a replacement.

The cap situation also plays in his favor as it does the Steelers harm to cut him before his rookie deal expires. He has extra motivation with the team having a fifth-year option available to pick up when the time comes.

He will need to make a big leap in year three for the Steelers to feel comfortable with him moving forward. It will be seen in the off-season just how comfortable they already are.

The Steelers still could address the safety position in the off-season. Sean Davis is a free agent and likely will be on a new team in 2020 so they will need to address their depth one way or the other.

Whether the Steelers address depth in free agency with a veteran or draft a prospect in the upcoming draft, they will add someone. Who it is/what round they are taken will indicate their plans for Edmunds moving forward.

The Steelers likely will not move on from Edmunds for at least the 2020 season. I believe that is the right choice, for now, but eventually they will need to if he does not make a significant jump in 2020.