The Pittsburgh Steelers had high hopes for Devin Bush when they moved up to select him 10th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. The team made the 2022 season essentially a make-it-or-break-it season for the Michigan product when they decided to decline his fifth-year option and by the looks of it, will be headed toward a divorce this off-season.
PHOTO CREDIT: JORDAN SCHOFIELD / STEELERNATION.COM (TWITTER: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers linebacker Devin Bush showed flashes in 2022, but was it enough to keep a spot on the team going forward?
Days after the season ended Bush fired off a few tweets that reveiled that Bush didn't have much interest in returning to the team. One of those tweets read "Can't Wait". While the context isn't completely clear it's safe to assume Bush meant for free agency. Quickly after that tweet was another that made it a little more clear on his thoughts.
Playing for a former NFL player…🤔
— Devin Bush ll (@_Dbush11) January 15, 2023
Mike Tomlin is not a former player. But there are several former players that are head coaches in the NFL. Included in that is former NFL quarterback Doug Peterson. It was during the Jaguars come from behind wild card win against the Chargers that Bush made these tweets. Peterson of course is the head coach of the Jags.
The 24-year-old played in 100 percent of snaps on defense just once in 2022 according to Pro Football Reference and saw his usage dwindle in the final two weeks of the season as the team opted to see what raw rookie running back turned linebacker, Mark Robinson could offer them in the present and the future. The team went out and signed linebacker Myles Jack to a 2-year 16 million dollar contract to give Bush a strong option next to him. And with Jack in the lineup Bush was able to put together a much better season than in 2021.
Steelers linebacker Mark Robinson showed promise in his late-season addition, but the team will still look to add to his position.
PHOTO CREDIT: JORDAN SCHOFIELD / STEELERNATION (TWITTER: @JSKO_PHOTO)
While the Steelers coaching staff might not have loved what they saw from the man it hoped was the heir apparent to two-time Pro Bowler, Ryan Shazier, the folks at Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave Bush some praise for his season calling him the team's most improved player but acknowledged this is the end of the road for Bush in Pittsburgh:
"It might not have been an incredible season, but 2022 was a significant improvement," they wrote about him. "Still, it wasn’t impressive enough for the Steelers to think that they made the wrong decision in not picking up his fifth-year option. Bush did post a career-best 3.5% missed tackle rate, something he’ll hope can help him in free agency."
How Will the Steelers Fill Bush's Spot For 2023?
The organization will now be doing its homework to find a new face for the inside linebacking core with both the team and the player admitting that a change of scenery is needed. Steeler Nation already took a look at some of the potential options to take Bush's spot in free agency but one under-the-radar name not on this list to keep an eye on is Denver Broncos linebacker, Alex Singleton.
Photo Credit: Nathan Denette, The Canadian Press
Linebacker Alex Singleton recorded eight tackles to help the Calgary Stampeders win the 2018 Grey Cup.
The dual citizen of Canada and the US bounced on and off of a few different NFL practice squads in 2015 before landing with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. In his three seasons playing north of the 49th parallel, Singleton was a star. He was named to the end-of-year all-star team twice and won the league's Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2017 finishing the year with the second most defensive tackles and four sacks.
After playing a pivotal role in the Stampeders' Grey Cup victory in 2018, Singleton was released to pursue NFL opportunities and landed with the Philadelphia Eagles. He played only on special teams in his first year with the Eagles but saw his role evolve and has played in more than 700 defensive snaps in the last three years per Pro Football Reference.
His career year with the Broncos caught the eyes of PFF and he was named the best-underrated linebacker in free agency. Here is what they had to say about the half-Canadian:
"Singleton is coming off a career year not just in terms of his overall PFF grade (79.1), but also his 82.6 PFF run-defense grade and 73.0 PFF coverage grade," they wrote. "He has improved as a run defender each season since seeing playing time in 2020, and while he isn’t going to turn a defense around on his own, he can be a solid role player."
PFF numbers are not an end-all-be-all for player evaluation. For what it's worth though, Bush's final grade for 2022 was a total of 58.8, so Singleton would be a nice little upgrade over Bush.
So, Steeler Nation, who do you think the Steelers should add to their inside linebacking group? How will you remember Bush's tenure in Pittsburgh? Let us know in the comment section below or on social media.
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