6 free agents Steelers must still sign in early free agency

Steelers must target Evans

While everyone has gravitated towards Myles Jack as the must-sign prospect following his release, I feel like he isn’t an ideal fit. While a talented player in his own right, adding him next to Devin Bush gives you two athletic players more adept in coverage than in run defense. The pairing on paper wouldn’t work, and Jack certainly won’t be cheap, so I hesitate to add him to this list.

A name that still does make sense is former Titans’ first-round pick, Rashaan Evans. Evans was a relative disappointment as a first-round pick as he failed to make any significant strides in coverage. As a result, this led to a reduction in playtime. Last season he was nothing more than a two-down linebacker focused on stopping the run.

The Steelers need a player like that though, especially with the struggles the group saw from their off-ball linebackers trying to stop the run. Evans would likely play on a relatively cheap deal and could slide in and serve as that Vince Williams-like enforcer.

As well, the team could still draft and develop one of the talented linebackers that are available in this class. Evans would be a cheap insurance policy for the short term though and makes a lot of sense as a potential free-agent addition.