With the Steelers losing a major piece to their pass rush, here are four free-agent edge defenders the team could sign to help their defense.
T.J. Watt didn’t suffer a season-ending injury this week against the Lions, and while that is something to be thankful for, he is expected to miss some time as a result. While Taco Charlton will step up as the starter potentially, the Steelers need another capable body to spell their edge position.
Here are four free-agent edge defenders the Steelers should sign to ease the loss of Watt.
Steelers should sign Simon
John Simon is one of the most underrated and efficient defenders on the free-agent market. While never an absolute force as a defensive player, he can make plays as both a pass rusher and a run stopper. Add in the fact that he doesn’t mind playing special teams (a role he has excelled at since coming to the league) and you have a really valuable veteran presence for any team, the Steelers included.
He has only played in one game so far this season for the Titans, and he was released in order to bring some running backs up after they lost Derrick Henry. Simon could be added to the practice squad today if the Steelers wanted to. That way, he doesn’t take up a roster spot while learning the playbook and can slowly be eased into whatever role he takes on. He would be great depth on defense and can still play on special teams. It makes a lot of sense for the team to target the veteran edge rusher.
Steelers should sign Spence
At one point in time, Noah Spence was an ascending star and one of the hotter college pass rushers. Personal issues forced him to transfer and fall to the second round of the draft. He came onto the scene strong with 5.5 sacks as a rookie, but he never quite reached those heights again. Now, he finds himself on the Bengals practice squad, but he would be a great fit for what the Steelers need as a depth edge rusher.
The best part about him right now is he is still young enough to take a step or two forward. He’ll be 28 years old this season, meaning that he should still have a few years of strong play left in the tank. As well, he can play on special teams, which is valuable for a depth linebacker. It’s been a while since he has been seeing a defense regularly, but he would do well as a third or fourth option on a depth chart.
Charlton would take on the majority of snaps in place of Watt while Spence would serve in the role that Charlton is serving in now. This puts a lot of pressure on Charlton to succeed, but the team seems high on him, and he has looked solid in limited work. Spence would be a good insurance option while allowing for the players already on the roster to still get their work in.
Steelers should sign Smith
If the Steelers want to get a better edge rush going, signing Aldon Smith would be a solid move. The veteran has his share of off-the-field issues as well as deficiencies in his run defense, but he can still get after the quarterback as evident by his five sacks last year with the Cowboys. You wouldn’t want Smith playing starter’s share of snaps but having him come on the field to get after the quarterback would be a fine role for the veteran.
Charlton would essentially play in base defense while Smith would come in for subpackage work. This gets the best pass rushers on the field at any given moment, and it keeps Charlton fresh for whenever Alex Highsmith needs a break. The splitting of responsibilities makes a lot of sense moving forward for the team. There is no singular player that will replace Watt, so utilizing the strengths of multiple different players would be a help.
Of all the names on the market, Smith is easily the best pure pass rusher. That said, he offers little elsewhere for a team. He doesn’t play special teams and his run defense is mediocre at best. The Steelers would be signing him knowing that all they are getting out of him is a pass rusher. That’s what the defense needs though in the wake of the Watt injury, and Smith would fill that void well.
Steelers should sign Murphy
On the flip side of things, if the Steelers wanted to keep Charlton as mostly the backup and find a defender that can play in any situation, Trent Murphy is the best name available. The former Bill and Washington defender is a big-bodied edge rusher that can hold his own against the run and use his power to generate pressure. He is the most complete edge presence still available on the market.
While he is a little bit older, he still showed last year that he can be effective even with a lighter workload. He only started nine games and played roughly fifty percent of the defensive snaps, but he still registered a pair of sacks despite playing injured through most of the season. Again, he isn’t a sack artist, but Murphy can still be effective in a defensive role moving forward.
The best part about Murphy is that he can essentially serve as a traditional starter. While he won’t be playing the number of snaps that a Watt or Highsmith would be, he can still be on the field on any occasion. This keeps Charlton as the rotational option and emergency depth if another injury were to occur. Murphy makes the most sense given what the Steelers need out of their edge group moving forward.
The Steelers suffered a major blow by losing Watt this past week, and while he shouldn’t end up on the injured reserve, the team will still need to find a way to replace him. Adding a capable veteran makes the most sense at this point. These four edge rushers would all be good fits to help ease the loss of Watt.