Pittsburgh Steelers: Free Agency Creates Hole in the Defense

Inside the game of the NFL, there is another game that is called free agency. Some players will be kept, others will be added while a few will be lost. The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently navigating their way through the fog of this controlled chaos.

Jan 17, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Steve McLendon (90) against the Denver Broncos during the AFC Divisional round playoff game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

One reality is clear right now and that is the Steelers have a gaping hole at nose tackle.

The position used to be occupied by Steve McLendon who played 42 games and started 30 of them in the last three seasons for the Steelers. However, McLendon signed a three-year contract with the New York Jets on Wednesday afternoon.

The immediate question that comes to mind when a starter leaves is, “who’s the backup?”

The answer to that question would be former 2014 6th-round pick Daniel McCullers.

According to Sporting Charts, McCullers has only played 168 total snaps in the last two seasons.

That means McCullers has only played on eight percent of the team’s total defensive snaps in those two years.

His 168 total snaps on defense in his 21 games played between 2014-2015, averages out to just eight snaps per game

Compare that to McLendon who played 681 total snaps and 32.5% of the team’s total defensive snaps over the last two years. In his 28 total games in the last two years, that’s an average of just over 24% of the team’s total defensive snaps.

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At this point, it’s unlikely to believe that McCullers would be able to come in and play three-times as many snaps in 2016 than he did last season. The fact is, if he showed a lot of improvement from his rookie year to his second year, he would have seen significant more snaps in 2015.

Yet he didn’t.

Also keep in mind that DE/DT Cam Thomas who played 185 regular season snaps for the Steelers in 2015 is also a free agent. Although he did not play a significant amount of snaps for the Steelers last year, it is one less option the team can rely on in 2016. Not to mention, his 185 snaps in 2015 was more snaps than McCullers has played in during his entire NFL career.

The Steelers could look at free agency for some help with players like Terrance Knighton or Sammie Lee Hill but at this point, that is just speculation.

The next option for the Steelers would be to look at the NFL draft for help at the position.

If the Steelers were looking to use their 1st-round pick on a nose tackle, players like Andrew Billings (Baylor), Vernon Butler (LA Tech) and Kenny Clark (UCLA) should be available when the Steelers pick at #25.

If they wanted to wait until the 2nd-round to address the position, players like Austin Johnson (Penn State) or Willie Henry (Michigan) could be available when the Steelers are on the clocks with the No. 58 pick.

No matter the route, free agency or the draft, the Steelers need to get another player on the roster who is capable of playing valuable snaps at the NT position.

When you look at other areas of need on the Steelers defense (cornerback, safety, edge pass-rusher) the nose tackle position might be the most important one to fill considering the lack of depth they have at the position.

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How little depth do you ask?

Currently, McCullers is the only defensive tackle on the Steelers roster that has registered a tackle in his NFL career.

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