The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a player suffer a season-ending injury in back-to-back weeks. In Week 9, Cole Holcomb was the victim of a "friendly fire" play that shattered his knee, and Kwon Alexander tore his Achilles in Week 10. The Steelers have gone from having great linebacker depth, to being forced to promote practice squad players to try and find some depth pieces from within. However, now that Week 10 is over, the Steelers need to seriously consider bringing in a free agent or two to either provide some new depth, or even start at inside linebacker.
Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Kwon Alexander (54) is examined by team doctors and trainers after being injured on a play during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. (Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)
Who Should The Steelers Sign?
According to NFL Trade Rumors, Anthony Barr is the best linebacker available, as well as the 17th best overall free agent currently available. (Editors note, it's now being reported Barr is signing with the Vikings.) Even if he's not the same dominating linebacker that he once was, the Steelers could use him for depth, especially in the passing game. Elandon Roberts and Mark Robinson can handle the run game, but Barr can be a guy that can drop back in coverage and play zone in the middle of the field.
Barr has 32 passes defended and 5 interceptions in his nine-year career in the NFL. He has also been good for around 70 tackles per season whenever he starts nearly every game. While he likely would just be a rotational piece in Pittsburgh, having him to swap out with Robinson could give the Steelers a much-needed boost to a weakened linebacker core.
John Bazemore / Associated Press
The Pittsburgh Steelers shored up their linebacker depth with the signing of veteran Nick Kwiatkoski in the 2023 offseason.
The Steelers signed Nick Kwiatkoski during the 2023 offseason, but he couldn't beat Robinson out for one of the last spots on the 53-man roster. He is not as much of an all-around defender as Barr, but he can still make an impact in the run game. His career high in tackles came in 2020, when he racked up 81 tackles in 12 games.
The Steelers have seen him in practice and preseason already, so they know what he is capable of. Either way, bringing in a player that already somewhat knows the system can make it easier to get him up to speed.
At this point in the season, finding a player who can play as a consistent starter is difficult. Finding quality depth isn't exactly easy either. While none of these options would likely be able to replicate what Alexander and Holcomb have done, any sort of depth is welcomed. Right now, their best depth options are a converted safety who barely played in Week 10, and a veteran linebacker who is specifically a run defender. The Steelers need all the help they can get.
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Rashaan Evans celebrates a third down stop for his Atlanta Falcons against the Carolina Panthers.
While Rashaan Evans is on the Dallas Cowboys, the Steelers could sign him onto their own active roster once he reverts back to the practice squad. Evans has not done much in Dallas, but he has been a force in recent years around the league. The Steelers would likely be more than happy to bring him on to see if he's still able to produce like he has with the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans.
Evans is primarily a run-stopping linebacker, as well as being a tackling machine. In 2022 alone, he had a career-high 159 tackles. There likely is still something in the tank, but he won't get many opportunities on a stacked Cowboys defense. With the lack of depth in the Steelers' linebacker core, Evans would get more than enough chances to prove that he's not already washed up at age 27.
What do you think about the free agent options that the Steelers have to fix their wounded linebacker core? Are there better options out there? Let us know in the comments.
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