The Pittsburgh Steelers have added another defender to help bolster an inconsistent unit, signing linebacker/safety Mark Barron to a two-year contract. What does the addition of Barron mean for the defense?
Nothing about the draft
OK, so maybe if the Steelers were planning to spend one of their handful of Day 3 picks on linebacker depth, that is probably off the table. But if the Steelers were planning to make a move in the first round to get one of the top two inside linebackers, this signing won’t impact it at all. Having said this, don’t be shocked if this wasn’t a reaction to what is a very underwhelming inside linebacker class beyond the first round.
Morgan Burnett is gone
The guy Barron is coming in to replace is obviously safety Morgan Burnett. Burnett was supposed to be the dime linebacker in 2018, but injuries slowed him down. And even when he was on the field, he didn’t appear comfortable with the position. Barron is a much more natural player at linebacker but has adequate speed in coverage.
It means very little financially
Once Pittsburgh cuts Burnett after June 1, the cap savings will almost completely negate any salary cap hit from Barron. We don’t know the particulars, but it’s highly likely this is a one-year contract pretending to be a two-year deal. It will be backloaded with an option for the Steelers to get out of it if things don’t work out after 2019.
