It was a curious choice one year ago when the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Malik Harrison to a two-year deal. Never a great starter, Harrison cut his teeth on special teams and made an impact as an occasional run defender. His $5 million average salary always felt like an overpay.
Now, it seems like the Steelers could be righting their wrongs with the addition of Jamin Davis.
After trying out this week, Davis showed enough to warrant an offseason spot on the roster. Far from a roster lock, the former first-round pick needs to prove that he can serve as a depth piece to this defense.
If he can, it is likely to spell the end of Harrison’s time in Pittsburgh. It feels like he has officially been put on notice.
The Pittsburgh Steelers may have just signed Malik Harrison’s replacement
To be fair, Davis hasn’t developed into a capable starter after entering the league from Kentucky. He was a liability in coverage and never great against the run. His best trait is his ability to put pressure on the quarterback.
Entering his age-28 season, those issues aren’t likely to get much better. Even if being a starter is off the table, all he needs to prove is that he can handle some backup duties.
I would argue pound for pound that Harrison is the better player right now. That said, Harrison is also on a bloated contract and didn’t provide the Steelers with what they signed up for a year ago.
His special teams snaps were ok, but he certainly wasn’t an impact player there. He is a body that you can use out there at the least. His run defense was bad, and it feels like it would be hard to justify having him see a significant role on defense this year.
Is a mediocre special teams player worth the money Harrison is getting? I’d argue no.
If Davis can do enough to flash, he could stick as the fifth linebacker on the depth chart. That isn’t flashy, and he would likely be inactive most weeks, but it would lead to the Steelers saving $4.75 million in cap space by cutting Harrison.
You could also keep just four linebackers and have Davis on the practice squad. The roster construction could look funky, so having the extra spot would be welcomed.
Davis still has to prove that he can do enough to warrant sticking around in some capacity. That said, if he can continue to earn the trust of the team, it could lead to the end of Harrison’s time in Pittsburgh.
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