PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Only the Chargers, by $62,000, are spending more average cap dollars on defense than the Steelers this year and that will go up given the signing of Alex Highsmith to a long-term contract and those deals already on the books for 2024. Former NFL GM Doug Whaley tells 93.7 The Fan it's a great opportunity for Mike Tomlin and his staff to show what they can do defensively.
"I'm so excited with how the coaches are going to attack this year with the roster Omar Khan has put together for them," Whaley said during his weekly segment on the Fan Morning Show. "They have enough pieces of the puzzle to be a premiere defense while that offense starts to gain traction and hit that stride."
"This is going to be an exciting year."
Steelers are spending $110.62 million on the defense this year. In addition to the big Highsmith raise, there will be the following contracts on defense for 2024 (with the caveat they can restructure the deals)
· TJ Watt-$30.4 million
· Cam Heyward-$22.4
· Minkah Fitzpatrick-$21.3
· Larry Ogunjobi-$13.2
· Patrick Peterson-$9.7
· Cole Holcomb-$7.6
Whaley doesn't see this as a negative to have the defense front-loaded, rather a strategy and taking advantage of having a quarterback on a rookie contract. He said you have to be aggressive and lock guys up now. The defense runs off the success of its outside linebackers, if you don't sign Highsmith, you are rolling the dice you can replace him in the draft with a player who not only can have the production, but can work as well with TJ Watt.
He said it's a win for the Steelers to have a 'dynamic duo' together for half a decade and if TJ deals with an injury, as he has the last two years, you have an experienced, talented linebacker on the other side. It's a win for Highsmith to not only have this money now, but the opportunity for another contract while he's still relatively young.
What it does do is put pressure on the Steelers scouting staff to find young, inexpensive options on the offensive side. But there are always positions to fill, they are just on a specific side of the ball now. Whaley also said don't discount the intangible to the younger players of showing you will take care of guys who come in, work hard and produce no matter where they were drafted or what school they attended.
"Good teams, the culture is set by the coaching staff," Whaley told 93.7 The Fan echoing a comment by former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch. "Great teams the culture is set by the players in the locker room. That defense, what they are building there is something that can permeate not only this year, but throughout the years coming with these young guys that are in there now and seeing not only what it takes to be a professional, but what it takes to be a Steeler."
"It breads more success."
