By Matt Papiernik, @Matt_Papiernik on Twitter
SteelerNation.com
In case you didn't see my previous articles, I am going to be publishing several articles breaking down the contracts, performance, and likelihood that certain players will be members of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020. Now that the off-season is in full view for the team, there are going to be several roster decisions that will need to be made as the Steelers are pressed up against the salary cap yet again. Continuing on with this series of articles, next up to focus on is Javon Hargrave.
Javon Hargrave, DL, 4 Seasons with the Steelers
Contract
Unrestricted Free Agent
2019 Performance
Coming into the 2019 season, the Steelers had what many would consider the best defensive line in the league, and that all starts with Hargrave at nose tackle. Through his first three seasons, Hargrave started 39 out of 48 games, and missed only one game due to injury. However, through those same three seasons, he only played about 45% of the defensive snaps on the year. It wasn't because he was ineffective, but because he would sub out in passing situations while both Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt would stay in the game. Even though he played only 44% of the snaps in his third year, he still managed 6.5 sacks on the season, and proved coming into his contract year that he was more than just a run stuffing nose tackle. In this past season, Hargrave upped his playing time and played 63% of the defenses total snaps, partially due to Tuitt's season ending injury in week 6. While Hargrave only managed 4 sacks in 2019 even with the increased playing time, anyone who watched him play knew it wasn't due to a drop in performance. When you have a team as good at getting after the QB as the Steelers are, sometimes the sacks just go to other people. Hargrave earned himself a big payday with an increased amount of playing time and no drop in his performance in 2019.
2020 Roster Likelihood: 25% Chance
Final Thoughts: There isn't one person that wouldn't love to see Javon Hargrave back in a Steelers uniform in 2020. However, the Steelers are pressed up against the cap, and will likely have to decide between him and Bud Dupree this off-season. Steelers are much deeper on the defensive line than they are at outside linebacker, so it is likely they prioritize Dupree over Hargrave. The Steelers will have to make a lot of moves in order to get both Durpree and Hargrave signed this off-season, and there is no doubt they are worth the money, the problem is just going to be if they can afford it.
Let us know what you think Javon Hargrave's future with the Pittsburgh Steelers is below!
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