Signing Derek Watt: B-
I would love to buy into the conspiracy that signing Derek Watt is a ploy for a grand move to get all three Watt brothers together in Pittsburgh, but it’s just not feasible. Still, signing Derek could give added motivation for T.J. Watt to stick around for the long haul – possibly at a bit of a discounted cost.
Though Watt should be a solid candidate to replace Roosevelt Nix on offense and Tyler Matakevich on special teams, Derek is now the highest-paid fullback in the league – a position that is practically dead in today’s NFL.
On the flip side, even Matakevich made more money than Watt after signing with Buffalo, so if Derek can be close to the same player on special teams, perhaps the Steelers made a good move. Derek Watt is still 27 years old, and while he will never be the star of the show like his two brothers, he has a lot of football left in him.
At the very least, he brings a gritty, hard-nosed presence to the run game and to Pittsburgh’s special teams coverage. He should prove to be a solid signing.