One of the things the Pittsburgh Steelers focused on this offseason was bolstering their depth at defensive line, and one of the ways they did that was by signing DL Armon Watts. Watts, a former sixth-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings, can play the interior or outside on the defensive line, and just two years ago he registered five sacks with the Vikings. He started a career-high 12 games as a member of the Chicago Bears last season, and Mike Tomlin seems happy with what Pittsburgh has in Watts.
“He’s an NFL player. You can tell he’s been in an NFL environment. He’s available consistently every day. He’ll be given an opportunity to state a case for himself for sure,” Tomlin said via Steelers.com in his post-practice press conference on Tuesday.
In Pittsburgh’s preseason opener last Friday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Watt saw the field for 19 snaps, registering two hits on the quarterback and an assisted tackle. One of those quarterback hits came on the play S Trenton Thompson intercepted Buccaneers QB Kyle Trask, with Watts’ pressure forcing Trask into a bad throw.
While he won’t be a starter — if Watts makes the roster, which I think he will — he’ll be a nice depth piece along the line. He’s shown the ability to get to the quarterback, and at 6-foot-5, 307 pounds he has the size to plug up space and be an asset in the run game. The fact that he’s stayed healthy is obviously important too, with the team being able to get a full evaluation on him without him missing any time.
Watts signed a cheap one-year deal this past offseason, with the value totaling $1.23 million, and just $152,500 guaranteed. So if the Steelers decide to go in another direction, they won’t be on the hook for much. But I think Watts is going to be an underrated asset, even in a limited/backup role in Pittsburgh’s defense.
He’s shown that he can make an impact even when seeing limited snaps, and his size and ability to get to the quarterback make him intriguing. He’s someone that I’m going be watching more closely in Pittsburgh’s remaining two preseason games. It wouldn’t surprise me if he provides a spark in one of them and helps put his name in Steelers fans minds.
