Steelers continue betting on defense with latest vet addition

The Pittsburgh Steelers have featured its share of standout defenses. General manager Omar Khan is adding another veteran piece to this 2023 edition.

It’s been an offseason unlike any other for the franchise that has kept its head above water in recent years but has been overwhelmed come playoff time.

Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers dropped six of their first eight games in 2022 and looked bad doing it. However, the team railed for seven victories in its final nine outings to finish 9-8. There was no ugly postseason loss this time because the team fell short of the playoffs.

New general manager Omar Khan has been aggressive this offseason in hopes of fixing a club that in its last four postseason contests has given turned over the ball a combined 10 times and given up an astounding 171 points.

This season’s offseason additions on defense include a slew of new inside linebackers Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, Nick Kwiatkoski and Tanner Muse. Now add another veteran to the mix.

Tampa, the 2015 third-round pick from LSU put up impressive numbers. Despite being suspended for the final four games of his rookie campaign, he finished second on the team with 93 tackles, to go along with three sacks, nine passes defended and three takeaways. He led the club with 145 stops in his second season. He finished with 97 tackles and three interceptions in a dozen contests on his way to a Pro Bowl invitation in 2017.

The past five seasons have been a somewhat different story. He played in only six games for the Bucs in 2018. Nonetheless, the San Francisco 49ers opted to give him a four-year, $54 million deal. He appeared in a total of 16 games (including playoffs) for the club before being dealt to New Orleans during the 2020 season. He played a total of 19 games with the Saints.

He spent 2022 with the Jets and played in all 17 contests, making 12 starts, and finished sixth on the team with 69 stops. It also marked the first time since 2016 that he appeared in every game for his club.

Alexander, combined with the other new faces, gives the Steelers a lot of options.

In 2022, Pittsburgh limited each of its final seven opponents to 17 points or less. Their run defense was ranked ninth in the league but that was somewhat deceptive given its inconsistency. Hence the revamped inside linebacking corps, as well as some other veteran additions such as hard-hitting Keanu Neal and rookie nose tackle Keeanu Benton.

Now all Tomlin and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin have to do is make all the pieces fit.