With the Steelers losing their starting inside linebacker to an ACL injury, here are six options who could be brought in to replace his production
When Devin Bush went to the ground holding his knees during week six, Steelers nation held their breath waiting for a diagnosis. Unfortunately, it appears as though Bush is headed for season-ending IR as he has torn his ACL. This means there is a huge hole at inside linebacker, as Bush was playing 100 percent of the snaps and was in charge of communicating for the defense. While those duties will be given elsewhere, his snap counts will have to be passed to someone.
Before going into this list, it is important to note that the Steelers can and should try out one of the players currently on their roster to replace Bush. When Ryan Shazier was lost for the year, the Steelers opted to play off the street free agents instead of L.J. Fort to a disastrous end result. They shouldn’t make the same mistake this year. Robert Spillane entered the game for Bush and performed well, showing off some physicality and tackling ability. His problem is his athletic profile is similar to Vince Williams, making him a less than ideal replacement for Bush.
Marcus Allen is a converted safety who could take on the role, but it seems like he would only see sub-package snaps right now as the team opted for Spillane over him. Arguably the most likely replacement on paper would be Ulysees Gilbert, as their profiles are the most similar. That said, he has been active for one game and saw no defensive snaps. Even if the Steelers opt for a current roster player, it would make sense to bring someone off the street to get them acclimated to the Steelers defense in case of another injury or if whoever replaces Bush struggles.
Thus, the list below was compiled as a shortlist of players that make sense in this role. Note, two of these players would have to be traded for and another is on a practice squad, but none of that should stop the Steelers from seeking these players out. As well, these players are uber athletes at the position, as replacing Bush’s speed will be one of the hardest aspects of replacing him. While none of these players would be instant starters, here are the six players the Steelers need to consider bringing in to help offset Bush’s injury.
Mychal Kendricks
Mychal Kendricks has had a fall from grace. An up and coming linebacker, Kendricks pleaded guilty to insider trading which caused his to be released from the Browns. He eventually found a home with the Seahawks but was never looked like the once-dominant player again. While he started 14 games for the Seahawks last year, he still finds himself unemployed. Considering his more athletic profile, he could be a great addition to this linebacking unit.
While the veteran just turned 30, he should still have a few good seasons in him and would be adequate depth this year. While more of a buck linebacker (the position Vince Williams plays), he could still fill the role of mack in a depth role. Considering the Steelers are likely to roll with one of their backups at first, adding Kendricks would provide depth everywhere for the Steelers.
As well, if the backups falter, he could eventually work his way into being a starter once again. Getting him into the building now makes a lot of sense, as he can begin learning the defense and getting comfortable in the system. The best-case scenario is he is inactive for most weeks as the backups do well enough. He would be cheap insurance though, and one that would make a lot of sense for the Steelers to target.
Blake Cashman
The New York Jets are in a free fall, and it appears as though they are prepared to reset this offseason with a new regime. This will mean the cutting and trading of a plethora of players as the new coach looks to build their own team. Considering rumors are swirling of former third overall pick Quinnen Williams being available for trade, it likely means anyone is available. If this is the case, the Steelers should make a call about Blake Cashman.
The former fifth overall pick shot up draft boards after testing very well at the combine. He ended up starting five games last year as a rookie, and he played well in his limited showing. He just got on the field this year after suffering through injury early on this season, so the Steelers could make the call before he has the chance to show the Jets, he can be a starter. On most teams, Cashman would be a hard target, but on a tanking Jets team, he could be a cheap fill-in for Bush.
Assuming the Jets would part with Cashman for a late-round pick, the Steelers would be wise to pull the trigger. His athletic traits compare favorably to Bush, and he would be a great option to fill in at mack linebacker. While he would take a few weeks to learn the system, he could be a starter by the end of the season given his talent. Considering he is on his rookie deal; this could mean he finds a role in this defense long term.
Nigel Bradham
Another former Eagle could provide the Steelers with an adequate Bush replacement. Veteran Nigel Bradham is currently a member of the Broncos practice squad, but if the Steelers act fast, he could be added to the active roster before he is protected. While he is older at 31 years old, he has proven to be an adequate coverage linebacker during his career.
In his past two seasons, he has allowed a QB rating of 100.1 and 82.8 when being targeted, which was similar to what Bush was doing this year. While not a great number, this is more than enough to succeed as a linebacker. While his athleticism has likely decreased with age, it should be noted that Bradham lit up the combine in 2012 when he participated and could show some of that speed on the field when he plays.
The biggest downside to Bradham is that as a practice squad player, he would have to be signed to the active roster for at least three weeks. This means he couldn’t be signed to the practice squad like Kendricks could be as he learns the defense before moving up to the active roster. That said, once he learns the system, he could be a valuable depth player who takes over at linebacker during passing downs. The window will likely be short as the Broncos can protect him, but he would make a lot of sense in a Steelers’ uniform going forward.
Darron Lee
As a former first-round pick, Darron Lee has been a major bust, but as a street free agent who would be added for depth, he has some serious potential. Known for his elite speed, Lee struggled to find a constant role with the Eagles and Chiefs before ending up as an unsigned free agent this year. Considering he could be added to the practice squad, he makes a lot of sense as a potential fix with Bush’s season-ending early.
Given his speed is equitable to Bush’s, Lee would provide that spark as a mack fill in. As well, Lee is an accomplished special teams player, meaning that he can be active on game days even if he isn’t seeing a lot of playing time on defense. While he has struggled to make reads at the line, his athleticism has made him a decent coverage linebacker. He notably only gave up a QB rating of 67.6 in 2018 (his last year with the Jets) before giving up a 102.8 last year in a limited role.
Again, the goal isn’t for Lee to come in and start right away. The goal is for him to come in and begin learning the system so if the replacements struggle or another injury occurs, the Steelers have a plugin option. To be honest, his biggest selling point is his speed, and that can be used both on the defense and on special teams. Perhaps the Steelers add him to the practice squad at first so he can take a few weeks to learn the system. Don’t be surprised to see him earn a helmet sooner than later as his profile is very similar to Bush.
Germaine Pratt
If the Steelers’ goal was to get an instant starter at the position, perhaps trading for Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt would make sense. The former second-round pick has seen the second-most snaps for them at linebacker this year, but considering the Bengals invested in a trio of linebackers in the draft, they could be willing to part with Pratt. He looks more like a buck than a mack but could fill in for Bush this season in a pinch.
He hasn’t played badly by any means for the Bengals, but they could be looking to replace him with one of the rookies they drafted. This would mean his cost would likely be higher, unfortunately, probably a third-round pick. Again, this move would provide the most relief for Bush, as Pratt could be expected to start instantly. As well, since he is on his rookie contract, he could make the switch to buck and potentially replace Vince Williams if he is cut due to cap constraints next year.
Pratt would likely have the steepest price tag of any option on this list, but he has the most long-term potential as well. While making an inner division trade wouldn’t be easy, if the Steelers offered fair value for Pratt, it could be done. The cost is a little steep, but Pratt would be an almost instant fill in this year and be a potential starter moving forward as the team potentially replaces Williams in the future.
Deone Bucannon
The player that makes the most sense for the Steelers has to be Deone Bucannon. The former first-round safety made the conversion to linebacker early in his career, and while has struggled to be a complete player, he has been a decent option in coverage. While he hasn’t been anything but a reserve since 2018, he would be a great sub package option with athleticism to help soften the blow of losing Bush for the year.
Bucannon is a bit undersized for the position, but if he was only seeing snaps in dime defense, it shouldn’t be a huge deal. In essence, he would serve a similar role that Mark Barron played last year early on. While base defense would belong to someone else, Bucannon could see some play in the nickel defense. As well, he could be the sole defender on dime defense, as his coverage ability would make him the most obvious fit there.
Better yet, as a street free agent, the Steelers could add him to the practice squad right now so he can begin learning the playbook. After a week or two, he could be elevated and be put into the mix at linebacker. His speed and coverage would be his best traits, and something the Steelers may not have a replacement for on the roster right now. Bucannon has a lot of flexibility for the Steelers, and he would be well worth a spot on the practice squad right now so he can learn the defense.
While the Steelers should consider their backups first, adding a veteran to the roster now allows for the team to begin learning the playbook in case they are needs. The goal shouldn’t be to find a starter off the streets, but instead to find a depth player who can fill in for some of Bush’s roles that the team will struggle to replace. Any of these six options would do the trick, but it is paramount that the Steelers add some sort of veteran to learn the system.