The Pittsburgh Steelers were dealt an inevitable blow on Monday when it was announced defensive tackle Javon Hargrave was going to sign a free-agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. Hargrave, coming off his best season as a pro, cashed in and now the Steelers are left with a huge hole in the middle of their elite defense.
Here are the three big things this loss means for the Steelers.
The spotlight is on Isaiah Buggs
Pittsburgh got a bargain when they drafted Buggs in the sixth round last year. Buggs now inherits the starting nose tackle position and we will see if he is ready for that kind of workload in just his second season.
Defensive tackle moves up the list for NFL draft needs
Regardless of what Buggs does, this loss makes finding a nose tackle in the draft a top priority. Pittsburgh has no cap space to look for a free agent so hopefully a big run stuffer lands in their lap on Day Two of the draft
Getting Stephon Tuitt back is even bigger
Everyone talked so much about the injury to the quarterback Ben Roethlisberger we forget the Steelers lost Tuitt for the team’s final 10 games. The defense really didn’t miss a beat without Tuitt in the lineup. However now, without Hargrave, Tuitt’s presence will be much more significant.
