Player: OLB Nick Herbig
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: The Steelers have gone through free agency and the draft without adding a significant pass rusher so far. All indications point to their belief that Nick Herbig is ready for a bigger role this season. To that end, Herbig reportedly looks more in shape compared to his rookie season, a common trend for second-year players.
Where are Markus Golden and Melvin Ingram? You’re not going to see these sorts of players anywhere near the Steelers’ facilities, it seems. That appears to be a reflection of their confidence in second-year Nick Herbig’s ability to take on more responsibilities.
I should note that the Steelers reportedly showed some interest in bringing back Bud Dupree. That never amounted to anything, however, and he quickly signed elsewhere. One could speculate that they wanted to try to sign him cheap and to accept a lesser role than he could get elsewhere so that could also reflect on their feelings about Herbig. We don’t know enough about that particular situation one way or the other to say.
What we do know is that Herbig was highly productive in limited playing time last season, as his numbers show. He played under 200 defensive snaps, yet still managed three sacks, forcing two fumbles, with five tackles for loss.
The concerns about Herbig coming out of college focused on his size, but that was never an issue last year. He never looked overpowered during the season and managed to play the run and rush the passer effectively. While he won’t win many strength contests, he has the intelligence and athleticism to find his way to his destination.
And it’s looking like he will have more snaps at his disposal to show what he can do. Last year, the Steelers brought in Markus Golden after the draft to serve as the third outside linebacker. Now Nick Herbig is in line for that role behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. His biggest competition is Jeremiah Moon, claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens, who has less experience and pedigree.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
