Steelers To Meet With Former Pro Bowler At Massive Position Of Need

It seems Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan isn't quite done in free agency. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the team will be meeting with linebacker Kwon Alexander on Monday night. Alexander would fill a major position of need, as the linebacker core's depth is quite bleak at the moment.  

After originally playing the first four years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he's bounced around the league since. In the past five years, he's played for four different NFL franchises. He was able to make the Pro Bowl back in 2017, his lone appearance in his eight-year career. It seemed like he had settled in with the San Francisco 49ers back in 2019, as they signed him to a huge four-year, $54 million deal.

Just over a year later, he was traded to the New Orleans Saints. It's been up-and-down for Alexander, as he played the 2021 campaign for the New York Jets. He showed flashes of the player he was in Tampa and San Francisco, but saw a career-low in percentage of defensive snaps played. Across 17 games and 12 starts, he appeared in 49% (559 total) of the Jets' defensive snaps.

Amongst 81 qualifying off-ball linebackers, Pro Football Focus ranked him 44th with a 63.0 overall grade. While he struggled most in coverage, he was one of the best pass-rushing linebackers in 2021. In that category, he ranked 14th with a 73.6 grade, albeit in just 20 snaps on that end. He would likely come on a cheap deal, but he would immediately be able to compete for a starting job. 

Would Steelers' LB depth be fixed with addition of Alexander?

Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts are seen as the current starters for the Steelers, while Mark Robinson is the primary backup. It's largely seen as the team's biggest remaining weakness, and Alexander would have a legitimate shot at starting alongside Holcomb. Beyond those three aforementioned names, Tanner Muse is another off-ball linebacker on the roster, although he's primarily a special teams guy.

In comparison to Pittsburgh's current linebackers, Alexander was rated higher than Roberts in 2021 and just below Holcomb. The veteran is a big-hitter, a style similar to a few of the linebackers already on the roster. PFF recently suggested Rashaan Evans as a name for Pittsburgh to address their lack of depth. A reunion with Myles Jack would make some sense, but those two options may be out the door if Alexander signs with the black and gold.

What kind of huge addition would Alexander be for the Steelers? Do you think he would start over Roberts? If they added him, would you be comfortable with the team's depth at linebacker? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!

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