Mark Madden: Steelers need to make a trade to keep up with Ravens

Baltimore is a good team. But the Ravens are still trying to get better.

They’re adding ex-Dallas receiver Dez Bryant to their practice squad. That seems of little consequence.

Bryant, 31, hasn’t played in the NFL since 2017. He tore his Achilles tendon in 2018 after signing with New Orleans and never played a game for the Saints. Bryant is Antonio Brown Lite: A lesser version but a safer version. Bryant won’t blow up the locker room. The Ravens rank second-last in passing yards, so Bryant can’t hurt.

But the Ravens also got defensive end Yannick Ngakoue in a trade with Minnesota. Ngakoue, 25, had five sacks and seven quarterback hits in six games with the Vikings. Before that, Ngakoue had 37½ sacks and 85 QB hits in 63 games with Jacksonville. He is legit.

Baltimore has 22 sacks in six games, the Steelers a league-high 24 in five. Ngakoue closes that gap. Baltimore tops the NFL in scoring defense at 17.3 points allowed per game.

The New York Post’s online headline says it all: “Ravens adding Yannick Ngakoue, Dez Bryant in Super Bowl push.” Not as good as “Headless Body in Topless Bar,” but still informative.

What should the Steelers do? Do they need to make a trade to keep up with the Ravens? Perhaps the Steelers aren’t truly inclined to make a “Super Bowl push.”

If they are, they need to get somebody better than Robert Spillane to deputize for the injured Devin Bush at inside linebacker.

Bush isn’t the Steelers’ best player on defense. But he might be the toughest to replace.

Bush had some inconsistencies in this, his second year. But he plays sideline to sideline. He can fly, and he fit perfectly with the speed and aggression of the Steelers defense. There aren’t many like Bush.

Spillane is just some plug from the MAC. He is a special-teams guy. He did OK while flushed with adrenaline during last Sunday’s rout of Cleveland. But he is not good enough to start. His shortcomings are great, and they are many: too light, too slow, no pedigree, etc.

Spillane may do OK against Tennessee because he’s not afraid to be physical. Or Derrick Henry might make him roadkill by about 1:30 p.m.

The Steelers need a better player than Spillane. They need a proper starting inside linebacker. Spillane isn’t.

They don’t need a blockbuster deal, like last year’s Minkah Fitzpatrick trade. That was the exception, not the rule, when it comes to the Steelers’ philosophy of building through the draft.

Anyway, that kind of inside linebacker isn’t out there to be had.

Some covet Jacksonville’s Myles Jack, the most complete inside ’backer among theoretical acquisitions. But he carries a monstrous salary cap hit of $15.4 million.

Avery Williamson of the New York Jets is a more realistic target. Williamson’s cap hit is $4.75 million. He likely would cost a mid-round draft pick. Williamson doesn’t play sideline to sideline like Bush. He is not great in coverage. But he is a sure tackler who gets to the ball.

Williamson is a legitimate NFL starter. Spillane isn’t.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. It’s a cliche, but it’s true. Spillane is a weak link.

The Steelers already possess other options: Ulysses Gilbert, but he is another jabroni from the MAC. Safety Terrell Edmunds could move into the box, and another defensive back could be utilized. That’s a good bet to happen a week from Sunday when the Steelers visit Baltimore. Spillane’s lack of speed would be a grotesque mismatch against Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

The Steelers also could adjust their method to protect Spillane. But the Steelers rank second in total defense and third in scoring defense. Disrupt that further at your own peril.

The notion that Spillane can start and prosper is romantic. Most fairy tales are. Get somebody better.