With the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2022 season over, the team finishing above .500 but failing to make the postseason, we have turned our attention to the offseason. One thing that it means is that some stock evaluations are going to start taking on broader contexts, reflecting on a player’s development, either positively or negatively, over the course of the season. Other evaluations will reflect only one immediate event or trend. The nature of the evaluation, whether short-term or long-term, will be noted in the reasoning section below.
Player: ILB Tae Crowder
Stock Value: Sold
Reasoning: Though this offseason’s moves were making it less and less likely that he would make the 53-man roster, it was still somewhat surprising when the Steelers announced the release of inside linebacker Tae Crowder. A late addition during the 2022 season, Crowder has nearly 2,000 defensive snaps across 41 games over the past three years.
The Steelers’ release of veteran Tae Crowder on May 22 made it official that, as of now, the only inside linebacker returning from last year’s 53-man roster is 2022 seventh-round draft pick Mark Robinson. The top four players ahead of him are all gone.
Pittsburgh allowed Robert Spillane and Devin Bush to find opportunities elsewhere in free agency. After signing veterans Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts in free agency, they also released Myles Jack. They never made any attempt to re-sign Marcus Allen, whose roster spot was essentially replaced by the addition of Tanner Muse.
Along with Holcomb, Roberts, and Muse, the Steelers also used a fourth-round draft pick on Wisconsin’s Nick Herbig. Characterized by the team as an outside linebacker immediately following the selection, several in the organization have since volunteered that part of Herbig’s appeal is his potential to play outside or inside.
Crowder’s release did come at the same time that the Steelers announced the signing of undrafted rookie Sam Houston State’s Toby Ndukwe, who was a participant in the team’s rookie minicamp and earned his way onto the team.
Still, following an offseason of immense turnover, one might have been inclined to think they would have wanted to retain an experienced player who at least got to sample the defense in 2022, even if he didn’t get to play in it.
But they have their veterans now in Holcomb, Roberts, and Muse, and are hopeful about what Robinson and Herbig can bring to the table as well. They obviously felt that they had more than enough to get along without Crowder’s help.
After all, even last year they decided to dress and play Robinson, only a couple years removed from being a running back, in the final two games of the season over Crowder. But all the same, it is at least worth noting when a team parts ways with a player as experienced as him…and so here’s me noting it.
