As the NFL offseason moves along at a rather quick pace, things are starting to come more into focus for the Pittsburgh Steelers from a roster needs standpoint.
One of those needs becoming clearer and clearer for the decision makers is the inside linebacker position — again.
Following Cole Holcomb’s devastating injury in Week 9 against the Tennessee Titans and Kwon Alexander’s torn Achilles in Week 10 against the Green Bay Packers, the Steelers had to mix and match down the stretch, bringing in names like Myles Jack, Mykal Walker and Blake Martinez to try and provide snaps alongside Elandon Roberts and Mark Robinson.
Though it worked — for the most part — the position remains a major need.
Free agency could be that answer to the Steelers’ need as could the 2024 NFL Draft.
In a Monday morning piece, Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger named four off-ball linebackers as good fits of the Steelers in free agency.
Those four linebackers are Josey Jewell, Blake Cashman, Drue Tranquill and Tyrel Dodson.
Jewell is PFF’s highest-ranked free agent off-ball linebacker at No. 78 overall. Along with the Steelers, Spielberger lists the Philadelphia Eagles as a good landing spot for the former Iowa standout.
“Steelers general manager Omar Khan didn’t seem overly optimistic about Cole Holcomb’s status for the early portion of 2024 as he returns from a knee injury, and he mentioned linebacker as a position of interest in the upcoming draft. Perhaps Pittsburgh gets started early and adds a good coverage backer to play alongside thumper Elandon Roberts,” Spielberger writes of Jewell.
In six seasons with the Denver Broncos, Jewell has played 3,388 snaps. Last season alone, Jewell played 796 snaps, grading out at a 67.2 overall, including a 63.1 against the run and a 64.2 in coverage. Playing primarily a coverage role last season for the Broncos, Jewell allowed 35 receptions on 41 targets for 352 yards and just one touchdown, adding three pass breakups.
In his career, Jewell has allowed 187 receptions on 241 targets for 1,816 yards and just eight touchdowns, adding two interceptions and 13 pass breakups.
PFF projects Jewell to land a two-year, $12.5 million deal, with $7 million guaranteed. He is 29 years old.
Right behind Jewell in PFF’s free agency rankings is Cashman, who checks in at No. 80 overall. Along with the Steelers, the Minnesota Vikings are listed as a potential fit for Cashman.
Cashman spent the first three seasons of his career with the New York Jets and then the last two seasons with the Houston Texans. He had a strong 2023 season, playing 655 snaps, grading out at an 83.7 overall, including an 84.7 against the run and a 75.4 in coverage.
Cashman allowed just 38 receptions on 53 targets for 298 yards and one touchdown. He picked off one pass and had three pass breakups. He profiles as a MACK in the Steelers’ scheme and is very similar to Holcomb overall.
Cashman, who will turn 28 during the 2024 season, is projected by PFF to land a two-year, $8.5 million deal in free agency, with $5.25 million guaranteed.
Right after Cashman, Tranquill, who just won a Super Bowl with Kansas City, is listed as a fit for the Steelers as well as the Green Bay Packers.
“Tranquill is light on his feet and can get washed out of plays against the run, but he more than makes up for it in coverage and as a free rusher. Tranquill has recorded 33 quarterback pressures and 10 sacks dating back to 2022. As a coverage backer, Tranquill has recorded 36 stops in coverage since 2022, and his 0.85 yards per coverage snap allowed over the span is a top-25 mark,” PFF writes regarding Tranquill’s free agency profile. “Tranquill possesses the change of direction ability to carry running backs on out-breaking routes to the flat, as well as the backpedaling speed to patrol the deep middle in a variety of Tampa 2-esque looks that Steve Spagnuolo likes to deploy and disguise, making his fit and big role in this defense unsurprising despite a lot of draft capital invested at the position in recent years.”
Tranquill is a player the Steelers are quite familiar with, having taken a look at him coming out of Notre Dame in advance of the 2019 NFL Draft before trading up to land Devin Bush in the first round.
Tranquill has been a strong NFL player to date and had the best season of his career in 2023 with the Chiefs, grading out at a 70.6 overall from PFF. Across 167 targets in his NFL career in coverage, Tranquill has allowed just four touchdowns.
He’ll be 29 during the 2024 season and is projected to land a two-year, $6.75 million deal in free agency with $3.75 million guaranteed, which is very affordable for his talent.
Finally, PFF highlighted Buffalo Bills linebacker Tyrel Dodson, another pending free agent, as a fit for the Steelers.
Dodson, a Texas A&M product, had a breakout 2023 season, grading out at an 89.5 overall from PFF in 550 snaps, including an 82.6 against the run and an 86.8 in coverage.
Dodson allowed 25 receptions for 199 yards on the season and added three sacks and 37 run stops on the year.
Despite a dominant season, Dodson is No. 109 overall in PFF’s free agency rankings, 13th at off-ball linebacker.
PFF projects Dodson to land a one-year, $3.25 million deal, which is quite cheap for the production he put up in an expanded role last season. Dodson will be just 26 years old during the 2024 season.
The Steelers could always wait for the NFL draft to go younger and cheaper at the position for similar production. But it wouldn’t hurt Pittsburgh to spend some cash on an established veteran, too, hedging against uncertainty over when Holcomb will be able to return from his injury while ensuring it has an answer at the position prior to the draft.
