In what has become a present trend for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team announced a new four-year, $72 million deal for defensive tackle Keeanu Benton. He joins Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington as players who are now part of the Steelers' future.
By all accounts, this seems like a great move.
While Benton has been frustratingly inconsistent at times, he really started to come into his own last year. His pass rush took the next step (I’ve argued that he is currently the best pass-rushing defensive lineman on the team), and he gives the Steelers something they have been lacking up front as of late.
That said, $18 million per year will seem expensive to a lot of people. This is especially true for a pass-rushing specialist whose best season saw him record 5.5 sacks. Add in some run defense questions, and Benton certainly has some flaws in his game.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were smart to lock up Keeanu Benton now
Ignoring the contract numbers for a second, let’s look at Benton as a player and how he projects.
The Steelers had been miscasting him as a nose tackle in their base front. While it got him on the field, it didn’t play to his strengths.
His position seems more flexible now. Yahya Black has been consistently mixing in as the primary nose tackle, especially for base defense, which has allowed Benton to play some defensive end as well as take snaps at nose tackle depending on the situation.
Simply put, this is a better fit for a player like Benton. A good nose tackle needs to be able to swallow up blockers and disrupt running lanes. Anything as a pass rusher is gravy. Benton is more finesse, less brute force. Having him play at end is a better fit for his skill set.
His 5.5 sacks last year weren’t anything to ignore either. He easily had his best season as a professional, and at his young age, you are banking on him continuing to grow.
This defensive line also has a lot of run specialists. The aforementioned Black isn’t going to be a sack artist, and while the hope is that Derrick Harmon takes a step forward, run defense is his calling card. Even Cameron Heyward’s ability to rush the passer is on the decline. Benton gives them some extra juice that they need.
While many will scoff at the money he is making, the defensive tackle market has exploded in recent years. Milton Williams, on the open market, got $26 million per year just a year ago, and he never recorded more than five sacks in a season.
Had Benton replicated his previous year (or improved upon it), you wouldn’t be getting him for under $23-25 million per season. If he hit the open market, he could have been one of the hottest commodities.
Yes, there is still risk to this deal. If last year was just a flash in the pan and he comes back to earth, that could cause trouble. There are also questions about how many snaps he will get in a rotation on this line.
I’m not overly concerned by either, though. He is young enough to still be ascending, and great defensive lines utilize great depth. We don’t know the specifics of this contract yet, but even if he does fail, the Steelers typically structure deals to be cuttable within a year or two. This will not be a long-term issue for Pittsburgh if he falters.
This is a great deal for the Steelers, and it keeps another young and valuable player around for the foreseeable future. This team is quietly being built up and invested in, and it should set the stage for some long-term success down the road.
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