DeShon Elliott was not the headliner of the start of free agency for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The additions at the quarterback position (signing Russell Wilson and trading for Justin Fields) took the spotlight. Elliott wasn’t even the biggest signing on the defense. That honor goes to former teammate LB Patrick Queen.
However, that doesn’t mean that Elliott was a bottom-of-the-barrel signing by the Steelers. Head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the signing at the NFL’s Owners Meetings per video from Steelers.com.
“I’m really excited that he’s here,” Tomlin said. “He’s a really good tackler, he’s a really good communicator. He has some of the natural traits that I think really makes you excited about adding to your defense from a safety perspective. He’s not a newbie by any stretch. He’s been in the league, we’re familiar with him, he’s familiar with us, and I just think that makes me really excited.”
The Steelers needed to address the safety position this offseason. Last year, they dealt with injuries to Minkah Fitzpatrick and Keanu Neal along with a suspension to Damontae Kazee. That meant a late-season addition of Eric Rowe to the practice squad and subsequent elevations for the final three games of the regular season and the Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Tomlin highlighted Elliott’s tackling ability before any other attribute and for good reason. Steelers Depot’s Ross McCorkle did a film study of Elliott shortly after he signed, and that stood out to McCorkle as well. One area where that showed up well was against the run.
That’s important for the Steelers whose defense allowed 4.3 yards per carry, the 12th-highest average in the league in 2023. While one player might not solve all of the Steelers’ defensive issues, gaining some stability coupled with ability at the safety position alongside Fitzpatrick is definitely a positive.
For a defensive-minded coach like Tomlin, it’s easy to understand why he would get excited about adding a player like Elliott. He may not be a superstar in the league, but he’s a good player who fills a need.
