4 remaining free agents Steelers must consider before it’s too late

EDGE Trent Murphy

Think Justin Houston is a little too rich for Pittsburgh’s pocket right now? What would you say to former Washington and Buffalo edge defender Trent Murphy? Murphy was a former 2nd round pick by Washington back in 2014 who hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. Over his first 6 seasons, he has just 26.0 career sacks. However, there’s still a lot to like.

While Murphy missed 6 games due to injuries in 2020, he still made his presence felt as a run defender and occasionally got his hands on the quarterback. At 6’6” and 260 pounds, Murphy offers a long, powerful frame that can hold up at the point of attack and could help spell Watt and Highsmith of snaps in some gritty, early-down work.

Murphy was a defensive end for the Bills over the past three seasons, but he has experience lining up in both even and odd fronts from his time in Washington. In 2016, he recorded 9.0 sacks, 10 tackles for a loss, and 25 quarterback hits without being credited with a signal start that year.

Best of all, Murphy could be acquired at a very reasonable price, and would still give the Steelers an upgrade over the current depth on their roster. With 3,381 defensive snaps and 778 special teams snaps under his belt, this would make a lot of sense for Pittsburgh in 2021.