The Steelers need to overhaul their linebacker position. The middle was a weak spot in their otherwise strong defense last season, with Devin Bush, Myles Jack and Robert Spillane getting exposed in pass coverage and against the run.
While T.J. Watt and Cameron Hayward disrupted passers up front, the linebackers were seldom there to clean up. Jack didn’t record a single takeaway-worthy play all year.
With that in mind, ESPN’s Aaron Schatz, who founded the analytics-driven Football Outsiders, says in his new free agency preview piece the Steelers should target a linebacker this offseason: T.J. Edwards of the Eagles.
While Edwards may not be a household name, he’s started for the Eagles in each of the last three seasons. He broke out last year, recording 99 solo tackles and assisting on 60 more.
“Edwards is not a supreme run-stopper, but he's excellent against the pass. He allowed just 3.6 yards per pass in coverage with a 74% success rate last season,” writes Schatz.
Schatz adds that Edwards’ age should make him even more appetizing for the Steelers. At 27 years old, he has room to improve, and the Steelers historically shy away from free agents in their 30s, anyway.
Since Bush and Spillane are unrestricted free agents, the Steelers will likely have multiple roles to fill at linebacker. It would be hard to find a better answer than Edwards, especially given his age and expected price. Spotrac says his market value is $11.9 annually, which projects to a four-year, $47.98 million contract.
The NFL free agency legal tampering period begins Monday.