In a season when the defense slipped to No. 20 in the NFL in points and No. 24 in yards allowed, no position on that side of the ball for the Pittsburgh Steelers was scrutinized more than inside linebacker.
Devin Bush didn’t show the burst or aggressiveness required for the position after returning from ACL surgery, and he became a lightning rod for fan criticism. Joe Schobert, acquired to fill a spot vacated by Vince Williams’ abrupt retirement, finished second on the team with 112 tackles but made few impactful plays on a defense that gave up the most rushing yards in the NFL.
The Steelers have financial decisions to make on each player this offseason, although Schobert’s case is more pressing. He is scheduled to carry a $9.722 million salary-cap tag, the fifth highest on the team. The Steelers could save $7.8 million by releasing him and perhaps trying to bring him back at a lower rate.
Bush remains on his rookie contract and will count $6 million against the cap. The Steelers, however, need to decide by May 2 whether to pick up his fifth-year option for 2023 that would be worth nearly $11 million.
The Steelers have sought a dependable inside linebacker since Ryan Shazier’s career-ending injury in December 2017. They traded up to draft Bush with the No. 10 overall pick in 2019. They used free agency to add complementary pieces Jon Bostic and Mark Barron, but neither lasted longer than one season in Pittsburgh. Schobert could be the next one-and-done linebacker.
The Steelers could turn back to free agency when the 48-hour legal tampering period begins Monday afternoon. Pro Football Focus gave the inside linebacker class an A-minus grade, and that was before Seattle released six-time All-Pro Bobby Wagner.
The Steelers enter the process with about $27 million to spend and room to create more cap space if Schobert is cut.
Before we delve into the open market, a brief look at what the organization already has on hand:
Steelers situation
On the roster (5): Devin Bush, Joe Schobert, Ulysees Gilbert III, Buddy Johnson, Tegray Scales: Gilbert is a career special teams player, Johnson played only six defensive snaps as a rookie and Scales rejoined the team in January because of injuries.
Restricted free agents (2): Robert Spillane, Marcus Allen. The Steelers must decide whether each player is worth a right-of-first-refusal tender worth $2.433 million. They also could try to sign Spillane and Allen for a lesser amount before Wednesday or let them walk.
Unrestricted free agents: None
Exploring the market
Wagner became the premium player at the position when the Seahawks saved $16.6 million by giving the 10-year veteran his release last week. Although Wagner will be 32 when the season begins, he has started at least 15 games every season since 2015 and has been selected to the Pro Bowl eight times.
The interest in Wagner around the NFL likely will drive up his price, and the Steelers’ style is to sit back and let the market come to them, which could present more affordable options. Foyesade Oluokun (Falcons) and De’Vondre Campbell (Packers) also are likely out of the Steelers’ price range.
Leighton Vander Esch, Cowboys: The Steelers showed interest in the 2018 draft before Dallas selected him with the No. 19 overall pick. The Cowboys didn’t pick up his fifth-year option, making him eligible for free agency this year. Vander Esch returned from two injury-marred seasons to start 16 games in 2021.
Alexander Johnson, Broncos: He’s a late bloomer who didn’t enter the league until he was 27. He also is coming off a torn pectoral injury that limited him to six games in 2021. He had 124 tackles in 2020.
Josey Jewell, Broncos: Denver had two linebackers miss most of the season with torn pec injuries. Jewell, a fourth-round pick in 2018, played in only two games before his injury. The previous season, he had 113 tackles.
Kyzir White, Chargers: A former safety, White can play in coverage, and he had 144 tackles while starting all 17 games last season. He also will be entering his second contract, turning 26 later this month.
Ja’Whaun Bentley, Patriots: A fifth-round pick in 2018, Bentley is looking for his second contract after amassing 109 tackles last year. He could attract more attention than the Patriots’ other free agent linebacker, Dont’a Hightower.
Joe Rutter is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joe by email at [email protected] or via Twitter .
