The Steelers made another late free-agent splash in signing Ingram, but these five reasons may be a cause to temper your excitement.
The Steelers addressed a big area of need when they agreed to terms with Melvin Ingram. The former Charger has been one of the better pass rushers over the last six seasons, and many are already claiming this move to be a huge win for the team. While the Ingram signing is exciting on paper, there are some reasons that this deal may not work out.
The Steelers needed some edge help
I am certainly not arguing that the Steelers needed edge help at this point in the season. The depth behind the starters was weak and there was little guarantee that any of the rostered players could be counted on as the third-string outside linebacker. Ingram, on paper, fills those issues, but digging deeper into the signing tells a different story. With all of that said, here are the five reasons the Ingram signing isn’t a great move.
Ingram’s injury history
Anyone that is ecstatic about the signing of Ingram has to be aware of the injury history he brings with him. He has only played five full seasons to this point, and he has missed a combined 12 games over the past two seasons. While he isn’t as injury-prone as some players (he did have a four-season stretch in his prime where he didn’t miss a game), his age makes it likely that those injury issues are carried onto the Steelers roster.
Now, and important to note, if Ingram is only expected to play as a reserve, then those injury concerns are not as prominent since he won’t be putting as much wear and tear on his body. There are other reasons to be concerned with the deal though if he is taking a reduced role on the defense (but that will be argued later on). Again, a player at his age with the recent spell of injuries means those struggles could continue into this season.
Steelers are paying for past production
To go along with the age argument here, Ingram will play this season at the age of 32. While plenty of pass rushers can still be effective role players even at that age, it means they likely won’t achieve the same highs they did in their prime. It would be shocking to see Ingram get even close to his career-high in sacks this year, and considering he is coming off a year where he recorded no sacks, it isn’t a guarantee that he even makes much of an impact.
To be fair, Ingram only played in seven games last season, so he didn’t have the full season to get after the quarterback like he usually did. That said, he was playing the majority of snaps when healthy, so the fact that he didn’t get to the quarterback once is a telling sign that his skills are in decline. The Steelers didn’t get an up-and-coming player here. They got one in the latter years of their carrier whose skills will continue to diminish.
No, sacks aren’t everything, and Ingram still has some pass-rushing moves despite his age but expecting a big sack output from him in 2021 is unwise. Again, he is a player in decline, and the Steelers are paying him the money they are because of his name value more so than his actual talent at this point. Ingram is better than what the team had at edge rusher, but at his price, this deal isn’t as great as some are making it out to be.
What will his role be with the Steelers?
This is one of the biggest concerns I have with the Steelers going after such an established name as Ingram. Before this move, Alex Highsmith was seen as the unquestioned starter given his good rookie season and lack of options around him. Assuming he is the starter then the number three edge rusher is expected to play about ten percent of the defensive snaps and see most of their playing time on special teams.
Ingram certainly won’t be carving out a niche as a special team’s ace at this point (he has only played more than 20 percent of the snaps there once, that being his rookie season). This means that he needs to be comfortable seeing only 100-200 total defensive snaps in 2021 as a true rotational edge rusher. Sure, injuries could force him to be on the field more often, but assuming the starters stay healthy, Ingram is facing a season in which he would play the least number of snaps since 2013.
On the flip side, and seemingly to more likely reason he was brought in, he will be in a rotation with Highsmith to some extent. For a team trying to find a youthful core to build around once Ben Roethlisberger retires though, is this really the right move? It could stunt the growth of the young edge rushers this season. I find it hard to believe that Ingram is willing to play such a small role for the Steelers. That means the development of some of the younger players could be lost.
Steelers had better bargains
With Ingrams’ contract coming in at 4 million dollars for 2021, the Steelers could have found a better bargain in free agency to suit their needs. If the team was set on landing a big name that could be a starter like Ingram, then simply put they should have gone after Justin Houston. He may have cost more upfront, but he is the superior player to Ingram at this point. It seems unlikely that a potential deal with him would have been astronomically higher than Ingram.
The far easier answer here would have been going after a player that was far cheaper and could do more of a variety of things. To me, the perfect prospect on the free agency market for the team was John Simon. No, he isn’t nearly as good as Ingram is, but he would have been had for the minimum. He wouldn’t require the number of snaps that Ingram likely will, meaning that a young guy like Highsmith can develop this season. As well, Simon can still be effective on defense when called upon as well as still play on special teams.
If the team was gung-ho on getting a more experienced pass rusher, they could have opted for an Everson Griffen or a Bruce Irvin then. Neither would have cost much more than the minimum, and each once again would have been more comfortable in more of a traditional role. Neither would give you much of anything on special teams, but that is no different than Ingram offers you at this point. Frankly put, if the Steelers wanted a better potential starter, they should have gone after Houston. If they wanted a more conventional number three, then a cheaper option would have been the better move.
What about Steelers Highsmith
This is easily the worst part about this deal. Based on the talent and the amount given to him, Ingram is likely going to be at least a rotational starter, if not a traditional starter for this team. While Highsmith didn’t post any insane stats as a rookie, he showcased a lot of advanced pass-rushing skills. A full year in an NFL program would have gone a long way in making him a more physically imposing type of player.
Now, perhaps the Steelers aren’t as high on Highsmith as most of the fanbase is. If that’s the case, why would they wait this long to address edge rusher? They could have gone after a plethora of different names, both free agents and in the draft, to either supplement or start over Highsmith. Waiting until the week before camp doesn’t make a lot of sense for the team, as Highsmith hasn’t had a real chance to prove his worth yet.
Had this move been made a week or two into camp, the story would simply be they think they need a better veteran presence over Highsmith. The Steelers are known to do this, as they assess the players they have and add to the spots they need it. If the team was so unsure of Highsmith then a better edge prospect should have been brought in far earlier than now.
On the flip side, if they just want to use Ingram in a heavy rotation, that still stunts the growth of Highsmith. Again, he put up some impressive film as a rookie and seemed poised to have a solid 2021 season. Now, he will have to split time with Ingram and play in a similar role as he did last year with only a slightly expanded role. It seems very unlikely that he can make the necessary jump now considering how his role just shrank.
While the Steelers needed edge depth badly, the signing of Ingram is far from the great move that everyone is making out to be. Yes, the team is better now than before, but they spent quite a bit of money on a player that will seemingly stunt the growth of Highsmith, who should be a future starter. Throw in his injury history and declining play, and Ingram may struggle to make the impact many are anticipating he will. Had this signing been for half the value, it would have been more of a depth move at a fairer price, but at this point, there are so many questions with this new deal. This signing isn’t a bad one by any means, but it certainly isn’t a great one as so many are saying.