The Pittsburgh Steelers had one of the most fun and exciting preseason games across the league on Saturday. From 70-yard field goals to Skylar Thompson’s dominance, this was an entertaining intro to the new league year.
One of the quieter storylines was first-round rookie Derrek Harmon. His first game was lackluster, to say the least, and his solid training camp displays did not translate onto the field this week.
That said, after one game the Steelers are still justified from letting Larry Ogunjobi go this year.
In fact, this may have quietly been one of the best moves of the entire offseason. Letting Ogunjobi go allowed this team to do something it hadn’t done for a while: invest in the trenches. The early dividends of these moves look promising.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a better defense now without Larry Ogunjobi
Ogunjobi’s play itself wasn’t the issue. No, he wasn’t the force as an interior pass rusher that he was in his lone season for Cincinnati, but he wasn’t a major liability either. An overpaid starter? Sure, but nothing egregious all things considered.
That kind of safety net he provided prevents you from really investing in the group. Had Ogunjobi not been cut, you likely still drafted Harmon in the first round, but the rest of the moves are less likely to happen.
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Daniel Ekuale is an under-the-radar signing who figures to add stout depth up and down the line. While his pass rush is mediocre, he plays the run well and figures to serve as defensive end and nose tackle depth.
More significant is Yahya Black. Taken in the fifth round, it would have been harder to justify double-dipping at defensive line with Ogunjobi still in the fold.
To this point, Black has been one of the biggest winners of training camp, and he carried over that good play into the preseason. He already looks like an early steal as a fifth-round pick.
Had Ogunjobi stayed, you wouldn’t have made as many moves in this room as you did. More than likely, it would have just been Harmon, and it would have been harder to get him starter snaps given what the veteran’s salary would have been. Now, there is the opportunity for youth to see snaps and still have a quality veteran presence in Ekuale.
All of this doesn’t even consider Ogunjobi’s pending suspension, as he won’t be able to play for the first six games of the season. Altogether, this was a great move by the team, and they certainly look like winners from making that move.