Getty The Steelers could target defensive tackle Eddie Goldman.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could fill a void along the defensive line with this free agent signing.
As the Steelers enter minicamp seeking an in-house replacement for the recently-retired Stephon Tuitt, they could look towards free agency to fill the void. Dale Lolley of DK Pittsburgh Sports compiled a list of the top 10 free agents that the Steelers should pursue and one of them was defensive tackle Eddie Goldman.
Lolley explains that Goldman would represent a “cheap” option for Pittsburgh while filling a major void for the organization.
“Goldman is still just 28 and has more tread left on his tires,” says Lolley. “And he and Akiem Hicks (more on him in a moment) made the Bears very difficult to run the ball against. But Goldman is more of a true nose tackle, much like Lotulelei, and would serve a big purpose for a relatively cheap contract.”
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Goldman’s Resume Has Highs and Lows
The 28-year-old, 325-pound defensive tackle has spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears since he was selected in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft. However, Goldman remains on the free agent market heading into offseason team activities.
Goldman has started 73 of his 81 appearances during his career, compiling 175 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 13 sacks in his career. Although he’s not the pass-rushing presence that Tuitt was — Tuitt posted 11 sacks during his final season in 2020 — that’s simply not Goldman’s speciality. The veteran nose tackle plays the role of plugging the A gap — between the center and the guard — which is to limit the opposing team’s run game.
According to Pro Football Focus, Goldman is coming off of a rough season. The veteran defender posted an atrocious 39.8 defensive grade and a 37.4 run defensive grade. For perspective, Goldman ranked within the bottom four among all defensive linemen (with at least 300 snaps) in defensive grade and within the bottom 11 in run defensive grade.
However, at his peak, Goldman is one of the better run-stopping nose tackles in the league. During the 2018 season, Goldman posted a 87.3 overall grade and a 87.8 run defensive grade. The overall defensive grade ranked 15th among all defensive linemen, while Goldman’s run defensive grade ranked 10th.
Why the Steelers Could Target Goldman
The Steelers are clearly set with Cameron Heyward handling the inside position for their 3-4 defensive alignment — Heyward ranked second among all players at his position in defensive grade — but they have the 35-year-old Tyson Alualu as the projected starter outside of Heyward.
Outside of Alualu, a mix of unproven players in Chris Wormley, Isaiahh Loudermilk and DeMarvin Leal are all candidates to replace Tuitt at the right defensive end position in the 3-4 alignment.
If the Steelers go through minicamp and aren’t too confident in their current group of potential Tuitt replacements, Goldman could be signed to a bargain contract — especially considering he’s still available deep into the month of June.
Considering the Steelers are coming off of one of their worst seasons on the defensive side of the ball — Pittsburgh ranked last in rushing yards allowed last season — signing a proven run anchor in Goldman can’t hurt.