The Steelers run defense was at its worst last week against the Lions, so here are five free agents that could boost that unit going forward.
The Steelers had one of the NFL’s best run defenses for the past two seasons, but 2021 has not been kind to the team. Names like Vince Williams, Tyson Alualu and Stephon Tuitt are all not playing for various reasons, and they were the heart and soul of this fierce front.
The struggles were on display as the Lions routinely destroyed the Steelers on the ground this past week. The team needs to make some adjustments, to say the least. Here are five free agents the Steelers could sign to improve the run defense.
Steelers could sign Dunn
Considering run defense mostly depends on the front seven, the focus area for a free agent is a quality run defending lineman or linebacker. Starting the list off is Brandon Dunn. I’ve written about Dunn on numerous occasions, as the former Texan is a perfect fit as a prototypical nose tackle. He offers next to nothing as a pass rusher, but he can take on double teams to open up gaps for other players to exploit.
Dunn was in the middle of a three-year extension that paid him four million dollars a year when he was shockingly released. It was a hard offseason for the league as a whole though, and Dunn was likely a cap cut more so than a talent cut. All that said, he has remained a free agent since, and with the Steelers run defense in dire need of some help, he would be well worth a call this week.
Steelers could sign McKinney
Benardrick McKinney has had a weird 2021, to say the least. Once perceived as an up-and-coming off-ball linebacker, injuries derailed his 2020 season. This resulted in a rare player-for-player trade, as the Dolphins acquired McKinney for veteran edge rusher Shaq Lawson (there was a minor draft pick swap as well). Neither made it out of camp for their new teams though, and McKinney has been on the Giants practice squad since.
The Steelers need to find a way to sign him though, as McKinney would give the Steelers a third body to use in their inside linebacker rotation. Joe Schobert has been fine, but Devin Bush has struggled to play downhill as a run defender. McKinney would be able to fill that void. He can fill run gaps well and can blitz if needed.
Essentially, McKinney could serve as a lesser version of Williams: a blitzing and run defense linebacker that shouldn’t be on the field in coverage. For a team struggling to find itself as a run defense team, this would be more than enough. Assuming the Giants don’t protect McKinney this week, the Steelers need to make an effort to bring him in.
Steelers could sign Allen
Going back to the nose tackle position, Beau Allen is another veteran that has carved out a nice career as a run-stopping presence for a defense. He has seen starting time on quite a few teams, and it seems like no matter where he ends up, he always cracks the starting lineup for a team’s base defense as their nose tackle. The Steelers could use that kind of consistency right now.
Similar to Dunn, Allen is a pure base defense nose tackle at this point in his career. He isn’t going to be making plays as a pass rusher, but he can take up space, hold down double teams, and open up gaps for linebackers to expose. He is a little bit older at just past 30 years old, but for a half-season rental, the Steelers could do much worse.
Allen’s play is reminiscent of Chris Hokes. Neither player developed into consistent starters, and neither player excelled at getting after the quarterback, but both contribute to the dirty work up front. His signing wouldn’t make headlines but adding a run defender of Allen’s caliber would be a solid move for a franchise struggling to stop the run.
Steelers could sign Smith
One of the more interesting names all offseason has been veteran pass rusher Jaylon Smith and his struggle to stick with a team. The former second-round pick was once considered a rising star in the league, but injuries and mediocre coverage skills have set his pace back. The Cowboys released him due to his ballooning cap hit and the Packers were quick to scoop him up.
The off-ball linebacker did very little with the Packers before being released and is once again a free agent. While he shouldn’t be counted on as being a great player at this point, the Steelers need something to happen at inside linebacker. While replacing your former top-ten pick with a player who has struggled to stay on a roster this year seems unideal, doing so may stoke the fire under either of them to get them playing as they should.
Even if the two essentially shared the role next to Schobert (Smith playing on run downs and Bush on passing downs) it could give this team some more balance. Smith needs to prove that he can still stop the run effectively while the Steelers need to prove that their defense can still stop the run as a whole. These two could pair nicely together and create a decent tandem for the remainder of the season.
Steelers could sign Billings
The Steelers nose tackle room appeared to be set at the start of the season. Tyson Alualu had a career revival playing there last year while Carlos Davis had looked solid as a backup there during his rookie year. Third-year lineman Isaiah Buggs was set to be the third option there and play defensive end in the meantime. Fast forward to now and the only healthy option remaining is Buggs.
To be fair, Buggs hasn’t been horrible as the nose tackle, but the run defense has clearly dipped since he started. Adding someone to push him would be a benefit right now, as it can get the best play out of him and add another body to sub in and play. The Browns just released, Andrew Billings and the team and player should link up. The Steelers had a lot of pre-draft interest in Billings, so adding him to the roster would make sense.
His play wasn’t anything exceptional this year, but that isn’t the type of player he is. Similarly, to the other nose tackle options on this list, Billings excels at taking up space and opening holes for other players to make a play. He isn’t going to rack up tackles and sacks, but he will allow other linemen and linebackers to have more space to make plays. The Steelers need a player like that right now, and Billings makes the most sense.
The Steelers’ run defense was gashed by the Lions, and something will have to change there in the coming weeks. The team could add a free agent linebacker or nose tackle, but no matter what spot it is, that player has to be dedicated to stopping the run. The Lions exposed this defense, and the team has to counter that by adding some fresh faces.