Getty Avery Williamson removes his helmet on sideline.
As the old English proverb states, ‘”One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Avery Williamson could be just the treasure the Pittsburgh Steelers have been hunting.
According to the December 23 NFL transaction wire, the Denver Broncos cut inside linebacker Avery Williamson from their practice squad.
The Steelers were uncomfortably thin at inside linebacker depth after Devin Bush was lost for the season in October 2020. They needed a quick and solid solution, and Williamson was their guy.
On November 1, 2020, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Pittsburgh sent a 2022 fifth-round pick to the Jets for Williamson and the Jets’ 2022 seventh-rounder.
In eight games (four starts), Williamson contributed 52 tackles (three for loss), two quarterback hits and 1.0 sacks.
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The Tennessee Titans drafted Williamson in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He led the team in tackles for two seasons before signing a free-agent deal with the New York Jets in 2018.
Pittsburgh chose not to re-sign Williamson in the offseason, and he returned to the Titans on October 13. The team released him three weeks later after he appeared in two games. Denver signed him to its practice squad on November 9 but was never elevated.
The timing of Williamson’s release by the Broncos couldn’t be better — for the Pittsburgh Steelers, that is. He could, once again, come to their aid with Bush and Marcus Allen landing on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
Watt for DPOY
Could this finally be T.J. Watt‘s year to be crowned NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year? The Steelers All-Pro outside linebacker has been in the conversation since his first double-digit sack season (13.0) in 2019.
Each year, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports on the results of an early award survey completed by NFL front office personnel. “All individuals participated on the condition of anonymity for competitive reasons and to provide an honest assessment,” Pelissero wrote.
On December 23, Bleacher Report’s Tim Daniels tallied results from Pelissero’s report. The executives overwhelmingly voted Watt DPOY over Cowboys rookie linebacker Micah Parsons, 8 to 4.
Daniels noted that Watt leads the NFL with 17.5 sacks heading into Week 16. “He’s improved his sack total every season of his five-year career since the Steelers selected him in the first round of the 2017 draft, and his 60 sacks since 2018 lead the league over that span,” Daniels wrote.
On December 19, Watt broke the single-season sack record — previously set at 16 by James Harrison — versus the Tennessee Titans.
“That’s not the only way the 27-year-old University of Wisconsin product has impacted games, though,” continued Daniels. “He’s also recorded 53 total tackles, four forced fumbles, four passes defended and three fumble recoveries for the 7-6-1 Steelers.”
The award has not gone to a linebacker since Carolina Panthers’ Luke Kuechly won it in 2013. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald has been the recipient three out of the past four seasons.
The Defensive Player of the Year will be announced during the annual NFL Honors show on Feb. 10.
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