Bud Dupree goes to IR; time for defense to step up

Well, if you thought the Steelers OLB depth was already thin, it just got thinner.

The Steelers placed Bud Dupree on IR, with a core muscle tear, according to Ian Rapoport:

Although it looks like Dupree will return at some point this season, this… there’s no other way of saying it… sucks. It’s a double-edged sword: we lose a player for weeks that all of us were going to be watching closely and our OLB rotation takes a huge blow.

The Steelers released their official depth Monday morning, with Dupree’s replacements listed.

Let’s take a look at our OLB depth, more specifically our LOLB depth:

  1. Arthur Moats
  2. Anthony Chickillo

That’s it.

I only mention the LOLB because that’s where Dupree is 100% of the time. However, in the past, I’ve seen the likes of Lawrence Timmons rush off the edge. That very well could be the plan for defensive coordinator Keith Butler. Some of us could suggest putting Jarvis Jones on the left side on some plays, but to be honest, Jones has enough troubling handling things on the right side: I don’t think putting him in a new spot would help anything.

That leaves Moats and Chickillo in rotation on the left side.

Last season, Arthur Moats played 554 snaps on defense, and finished with 24 solo tackles, 11 combined tackles, and 4.0 sacks. His snap count percentage last season went up and down, probably because the Steelers were trying to work Dupree into the rotation more and more. But that’s going to change this year (obviously.)

As for Chickillo, there’s still a big question mark on if he can be more of a contributor on defense. I know, at least from my perspective, I haven’t seen anything spectacular out of him this preseason. Maybe it’s because of a lingering ankle injury, or maybe not.

Last season, Chickillo had 4 solo tackles, 2 combined tackles, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery, the latter of which came on special teams. He’s going to have to take a big step this season, especially if Dupree can’t return at all.

Since the Steelers primarily play a 3-4 as their base defense, a lot of their success hinges on how well their linebackers play, especially their outside linebackers. One saving grace is having James Harrison on the right side, but at 38 we’re not sure how much he’s going to play this season. Keeping him fresh could be key to the defense’s success.

Jarvis Jones, who’s also on the right side, finds more of his success on running downs; he’s not the “cat’s pajamas” when it comes to rushing the QB.

That’s a total of four outside linebackers to start this season, which concerns me. We need another body on the left side; rookie Travis Feeney is not ready, at all, to assume that role. The Steelers may have to dip into free agency, where preseason roster casualties and veteran free agents who have yet to find a home. It’s slim pickings, but here are a few free-agent options the Steelers could take a look at:

  • Mike Neal: Neal is the best available option for the Steelers. Since being drafted by the Packers, in the 2nd round, in the 2010 NFL Draft, Neal has racked up 19 sacks, 92 solo tackles, 41 combined tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 interception.
  • Lamarr Woodley: Yeah, I know, but we need a body. Lamarr Woodley had a great few years in Pittsburgh, but a hamstring injury, in the 2011 season, led to his release a few seasons later. He went on to play in Oakland and Arizona. Last season, with the Cardinals, Woodley had 9 solo tackles, 1 combined, and only 1.0 sack. Woodley isn’t my first choice, or second, but I wouldn’t opposed to him coming in. If anything else, other than to give Moats a few snaps resting.
    • (Note: we wrote about the positives and negatives of bringing Woodley in a couple of months ago.)
  • Jonathan Newsome: He had one pretty good season with the Colts. In 2014, he had 6.5 sacks. In 2015, he had only 1.0 sack. Obviously, this wouldn’t be a spectacular signing either.

While I’m concerned about our defense, but I’m still maintaining a level of confidence. We still have Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, Ryan Shazier, Lawrence Timmons, James Harrison, William Gay, Ross Cockrell, Mike Mitchell, and Robert Golden, along with some promising rookies who can all contribute.

To say our entire defense has to step up would be an understatement, but I know our boys are capable of it; but I also know that bringing in an extra body, for the left side, wouldn’t hurt either.


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