Last year, the Steelers quickly discovered what a lack of depth at a specific position can do to a football team. Now, on paper, it looks like they may be heading towards the same issue.
When Devin Bush's 2020 season ended due to a torn ACL, Pittsburgh was left thin at inside linebacker. While stopgaps were found in Robert Spillane and others, the Steelers were never quite the same.
And that brings us to this season. What happens at outside linebacker if TJ Watt has to miss time? Where does the pass rush come from? Where does the experience come from?
The outlook, right now, is bleak. But that could change as we get closer to the regular season.
"We're looking for a third guy," defensive coordinator Keith Butler said this week at the team's minicamp. "We've always wanted to have a third guy. Last year, that third guy was Alex (Highsmith)."
Highsmith will flank the other side of the defense, opposite Watt. He showed flashes of promise in 2020, playing 437 defensive snaps while filling in for Bud Dupree, who also went down with a year-ending knee injury.
But Highsmith had only two sacks in his rookie campaign, and the question has to be asked. Is a third-round pick out of Charlotte really ready to form a dynamic pass rush with Watt?
Watt is looking for cohesion between the two, but feels he and Highsmith can take another step.
Maybe they can. But the fact remains that, behind those two, the cupboard isn't exactly bare, but certainly isn't overflowing.
"Hopefully Cassius (Marsh) can give us a little help there," Butler said. "We drafted a couple of guys. The one guy, we think he's going to be alright. We'll see about that third guy. We'll see as we go along."
'The one guy' is presumably Quincy Roche, who was drafted by the Steelers in the sixth round after a solid college career split between Temple and Miami.
Marsh, meanwhile, has some experience, having come into the NFL in 2014. But he played for three different teams 2020, and has just 14 career sacks.
Outside of Marsh and Roche, there is Calvin Bundage, Tegray Scales, Jamir Jones and Jamar Watson who can work on the edge. They're likely either camp bodies, bound for the practice squad or special teamers, unless one really stands out next month at training camp.
If the Steelers look for free agency help — and they already have, reportedly showing interest in forward Washington pass rusher Ryan Kerrigan — there are some veteran options. Experienced edge rushers in Justin Houston, Melvin Ingram and Bruce Irvin are the top available players, but scheme fits, age and cost could be detriments. Retreads like Anthony Chickillo and Jayrone Elliot are on the market, too.
"That's going to be up to Mike (Tomlin) and Kevin (Colbert) to look elsewhere to give us a little depth right there," Butler said. "We'll see as we go along, go through training camp and go through preseason. The good thing about all of that is that it gives us a chance to evaluate who we've got and who we don't have."
Led by Watt and Dupree, Pittsburgh's pass rush has become elite. But Dupree is gone and, if anything happens to Watt, that sustained pressure could go from elite to non-existent in a hurry.
For Butler's sake, that can't happen.
"Hopefully we can stay healthy at that position and do some of the stuff we did last year, and do it better… if we can."
