With the Steelers struggling to get quality reps out of their inside linebacker group, the team may need to add another body there with one of these three free agents.
It is no secret that the Steelers have been struggling to get quality play out of their inside linebacker group this season. Joe Schobert has been a steady contributor, but Devin Bush has been extremely off. His athleticism still seems to be affected by his previous injury but his decision-making has been putrid.
Poor angles, mediocre tackling, and slow decision-making have made Bush not just a bad player on the field, but a liability on this defense. It has been a significant fall from grace for the former top-ten pick, and something has to change this season. He can’t continue to play most of the defensive snaps with how poor he is playing.
Steelers could look inhouse
To be clear, signing a free agent off the street does little help right away. Unless those players have been on a practice squad, they will need a week or two to get adjusted to life in the NFL again. Even then, a free agent this late is a desperate move for any team. That said, something has to give due to the poor run defense that this defense has fielded.
Robert Spillane plays fine downhill, but he has a lot of limitations in his overall game. The rest of the depth chart is either a special team’s player or has been inactive for most weeks. Getting a veteran with some starting experience makes sense then. Those that are still playing on special teams can stay there while this provides a spark for Bush to either play better or get benched. With all that said, here are the three free-agent inside linebackers the Steelers could sign to push Bush.
Steelers could sign Correa
Kamalei Correa is an interesting fit as an inside linebacker for the Steelers. Drafted by the Ravens in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Correa initially played on the edge before getting traded to the Titans. There, the team switched him to an off-ball linebacker, and in terms of playing downhill and playing against the run, the veteran has thrived.
Over the next two years, the linebacker had seven starts and recorded 8.5 sacks in this new role. His style is very reminiscent of Vince Williams: a two-down linebacker that can rush the quarterback but is a liability in coverage. That said, with just how much this defense has struggled with stopping the run, adding a player dedicated to stopping the run would make sense right now.
Correa would be cheap and would have an instant role on this defense (playing next to Schobert in base to help stop the run). Add in the fact that Correa is still a willing special teams’ player and you have a low-risk addition that could help fill in on-run defense. Again, you wouldn’t want Correa playing the majority of snaps for the team but have him serve as an upgrade for this defense when playing downhill and trying to stop the run. He would be worth the add-on a cheap deal at this point.
Steelers could sign Smith
Take everything that was just said about Correa and shift over to a better athlete and slightly better coverage player in Jaylon Smith. The former Cowboy hasn’t been able to stick anywhere yet after his release, but that doesn’t mean he can’t play. He wasn’t a fit with the Packers, but he could come in and have an instant role as a run defender for the Steelers.
Smith had an amazing college career before a devastating knee injury almost ended his pro hopes. He recovered from that injury well with the Cowboys and for a while was a rising star in the league. Eventually, though, his pass coverage woes appeared on the field, and it was hard to justify the Cowboys paying him that much money with his limitations. That led to his release earlier this season.
Again, Smith shouldn’t be counted on to start for the Steelers at this point in the season. Instead, a role where he plays 30 percent of the snaps in base defense would suit him well. He doesn’t play on special teams, which is a downgrade from him to Correa, but he is the better athlete and better overall linebacker. Adding Smith on the cheap could be a quick solution to pushing Bush and helping the run defense get back on track.
Steelers could sign Whitehead
If the Steelers wanted to add more of a complete off-ball linebacker at this point, Tahir Whitehead would make a lot of sense. At one point, Whitehead was seen as one of the better young linebackers in the league with the Lions. He was a tackling machine and could make some big plays in coverage. Even after he signed with the Raiders, he was still his usual consistent self.
He is over 30 years old now, which means his best playing days are likely behind him, but Whitehead could still be a contributor for this defense. Frankly, if the Steelers wanted more of a push for Bush and less of a compliment, Whitehead would be the guy. Adding Whitehead gives the Steelers a solid tackler off the bat, but with his coverage ability, he could replace Bush if the struggles continue.
The two main drawbacks with Whitehead are that he doesn’t play much on special teams, and he is currently on the Cardinals’ practice squad. The lack of special teams’ snaps isn’t the end of the world as the team has plenty of options there already, but the fact that he is already on the Cardinals practice squad means the Steelers would have to add him straight to the roster. That said if he can play as he has in the past, adding him would be well worth it. If the team wanted to push Bush and potentially replace him, Whitehead would be the most complete option.
While signing a free agent this late in the process is never a great sign, Bush has warranted some sort of a change given his struggles. The in-house options aren’t great, which means the team will have to look elsewhere for help. These three free agents have their flaws, but they could help push Bush for the remainder of the season.