Home Quick Hitters SCB Steelers Quick Hitters: The “Fifth Element” Edition

SCB Steelers Quick Hitters: The “Fifth Element” Edition

by Steeldad
Bush of the Steelers. steelcityblitz.com

Good Tuesday to you Steelers fans.

It came as no surprise that the Steelers have declined the fifth year option on Linebacker Devin Bush. The former Michigan standout and first round selection of the Steelers struggled last year as he returned from ACL surgery. This comes on the heels of the Steelers re-signing former first round draft pick Terrell Edmunds who they also declined the fifth-year option on. At just $2.5 million, this was far less than what they would have been paying Edmunds in his fifth year. Could this be a potential plan with Bush? That’s going to depend on a lot of things. One must first decide if his decline was due to poor play on the defensive line. Did the absences of Stephon Tuitt and Tyson Alualu make life miserable for him? Or was his decline simply because of a lack of confidence in his surgically repaired knee? Not everyone who returns from surgery bounces back the way others do… I believe it was a combination of both. Bush has to prove in 2022 that he can once again roam sideline-to-sideline with the ability he had pre-injury. He has to show he can take on blockers and shoot gaps like he did as a rookie. The risk of course for Pittsburgh is that if Bush comes back with some serious ferocity then his price goes up and he becomes attractive to other teams. Right now, they are gambling that he isn’t ever going to be the player he was and if they’re right that’s not good for the defense.

Tweet of the Day… And as Jas well knows it’s “Black and GOLD” anyway.

Looking Ahead

I don’t normally like to look this far ahead but if Bush has another average season (and maybe even if he does) then the Steelers will be in the market for an inside linebacker in the 2023 Draft. I think they’ll also be looking at EDGE (Alex Highsmith would be in his last year of his current deal) as well so next year’s draft is shaping up to be a defensive one.

Journalism Changes

Ed Bouchette, who covered the Steelers since 1987 has officially retired. He will leave as one of the more respected beat writers around the NFL. Who takes his place alongside Mark Kaboly at The Athletic is uncertain but there will be no shortage of people who are interested. Also of note, NFL Network reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala announced that she is moving on to other things after ten years. She has long been on the wrong side of many Steelers’ fans after committing one journalism faux pas after another. The most egregious of which is that she too often stopped reported and instead started opining. She often gave her own takes on Mike Tomlin, Ben Roethlisberger and others rather than just reporting the news. It was my experience that she seemed to enjoy stirring the pot and I will not miss her covering the Steelers.

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