The Steelers have agreed to terms with two safeties for the secondary this offseason despite having starters already. GM Omar Khan explains why. Speaking to the team’s website, he talked about the nature of the defensive back position generally. Their own history, quite frankly, can tell them why they ought to have made the moves they did.
“You can’t have enough good players regardless of position, but believe it or not, the DBs are one of the most injured positions year after year”, Khan said, the Steelers adding Jacquan Brisker and Darnell Savage since free agency began. The latter has yet to officially sign, but has agreed to terms. “We hope none of our guys ever get hurt, but the reality is it’s a position where injuries happen. And those guys are Steelers”.
Last season, the Steelers had multiple key injuries in the secondary. They lost one starting safety, DeShon Elliott, for the season, throwing the back end into upheaval. Darius Slay at cornerback also battled injuries, as did James Pierre and Cory Trice Jr. the latter never even got a chance to play. Eventually, the Steelers had to trade for a safety in-season, adding Kyle Dugger.
In addition to the two safeties, the Steelers also strengthened the secondary elsewhere. They re-signed Asante Samuel Jr., then they added Jamel Dean, a long-time veteran starter. He figures to pair with Joey Porter Jr., who should start with Elliott and Jalen Ramsey at safety. Brisker seems likely as the fifth defensive backs, however exactly that takes shape.
The fact that we are not even talking about some of the Steelers’ defensive backs is not insignificant. To have players like Samuel, Savage, and Brandin Echols as depth is a welcome change of pace. But the way most seasons play out, depth in the back end usually winds up playing.
The Steelers hoped to have some type of all-star secondary last year, a plan that fell through spectacularly. Former HC Mike Tomlin envisioned Porter, Slay, and Ramsey as some sort of lockdown trio. Only Porter came close to living up to that billing, with Slay not even making it through the season. Though Ramsey certainly had his moments at cornerback, on the whole, he seemed to fit better at safety. At least until he didn’t, late in the season, when teams adapted to having him back there.
The Steelers hope they are better prepared to withstand adversity in the secondary with this current group. And they are very likely to add to it, potentially significantly, and multiple times, in the draft. Safety is one of the top positions many project as a candidate for their first-round pick. And the expectation is they will draft a cornerback as well, though not as early, most likely.
Even with their additions, the Steelers’ long-term future in the secondary needs to be secured. Ramsey and Dean are already older, and Elliott—with his injury history—is right behind them. The only major piece to develop into the future is Porter, unless Samuel proves to be another guy they can count on, say, four or five years from now.
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