Steelers free agent grades: Results are even uglier at the midseason mark

Steelers grade for Elandon Roberts

Grade: C+

Elandon Roberts was a weird signing for this team in the offseason. As the Steelers purged their linebacker room, Roberts was brought in to help restore some of the physicality that this group had lost. Never a great coverage linebacker, Roberts had a clear role with limited upside.

He has met expectations by all accounts. He has served as a base defense linebacker that can aggressively fill gaps and blow up runs. This defense hasn’t had that since Vince Williams, and that energy has been a welcomed addition. His coverage skills have been lacking, but that was expected, and this defense has schemed around him on passing downs.

My issue when he was brought in was his cost. While another cheaper addition, the linebacker market as a whole was rather cheap. While Roberts was a good schematic addition, a player with his limitations costing as much as he does is a harder pill to swallow. I still think he is a tad overpaid given his ability.

I’ll be curious to see how his role expands in the coming weeks. While Kwon Alexander is the primary beneficiary to the injuries in the room, Roberts will also likely see an uptick in snaps. While slightly overpaid, it is hard to be that upset with this deal halfway through the season.