Steelers free agency primer: Devin Bush, Robert Spillane among LBs set to test market

Once viewed as a prototypical new-wave NFL inside linebacker — speedy with an ability to make plays sideline to sideline — Devin Bush was valued so highly by the Pittsburgh Steelers that they traded up 10 spots to select him at No. 10 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Four seasons later, after Bush struggled to shake a knee injury that shortened one season, he barely could get on the field as he sat behind a former undrafted free agent.

At the end of the 2022 season, when the Steelers were reeling off four consecutive wins to finish with a 9-8 record, Bush was mostly a bystander. Needing wins against division opponents Baltimore and Cleveland to keep playoff aspirations alive, coach Mike Tomlin stayed with Robert Spillane at Bush’s expense.

Whereas Spillane played every snap in all four games of that winning streak, Bush was relegated to playing five snaps apiece against the Ravens and Browns, a pair of physical teams with a knack for running the football.

Tomlin made it clear Bush’s benching was not health related.

“Really game-specific related,” he said. “The nature of play of those two teams that we played down the stretch, specifically, it warranted us to do some things in terms of division of labor that minimized some of his opportunities to contribute.”

It was a damning proclamation as well as a microcosm of how much Bush had fallen out of favor with the organization. And so it is that when free agency next week, the Steelers will prioritize keeping Spillane rather than his higher-profile teammate.

Bush and Spillane are among several linebackers on the roster set to hit the open market Monday when the two-day legal tampering period begins. Converted safety and special teams player Marcus Allen is another. At outside linebacker, the Steelers have backup Malik Reed, who was inactive for three of the final five games of the season, ready to test free agency as well.

“We have a pretty good feel of what that’s going to look like,” general manager Omar Khan said at the NFL Combine, referencing free agency in general. “We’ll see where it goes, but we’ve got a good feel of where things are.”

The Steelers created cap space Friday by releasing cornerback William Jackson III and are expected to try to retain their impending free agents first. Cornerback Cameron Sutton and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi are considered priorities.

The Steelers would like to keep Spillane, especially because fellow inside linebacker Myles Jack carries an $11.25 million cap hit that could make him a candidate to be released.

For his part, Spillane would prefer to stay with the organization that employed him the past four seasons and allowed him to grow into an every-down starter.

“I love this organization,” Spillane said the day after the season ended. “I’ve loved being here from the second I got here. I pour my heart into everything that I do here. I love the teammates. I love the coaches. I love the organization. It’s been a blessing, and I’ve never taken it for granted.

“If I’m blessed with an opportunity to come back here, that would be something that is very special.”

Beyond Jack, the Steelers don’t have an established veteran under contract. A wild card is 2022 seventh-round pick Mark Robinson, who took snaps away from Bush and Jack in the final two games of the season.

On the outside, the Steelers are set with former NFL Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt on the left side and Alex Highsmith manning the right. Highsmith came into his own in his third season, setting a career high with 14¹⁄₂ sacks. The Steelers would like to sign him to an extension, but such talks won’t begin until the summer.

The goal in March will be adding a low-cost complementary piece who can play a handful of snaps at each position. Reed fell out of favor late in the season and is unlikely to be pursued in free agency. The only other players under contract are Jamir Jones, who played sparingly while dressing for all 17 games, and Emeke Egbule, who appeared in 32 games with the Los Angeles Chargers the past three years and was a late-season addition to the practice squad.

A positional look at the Steelers inside and outside linebacker situations heading into free agency:

Inside linebacker

Under contract: Myles Jack ($11.25 million cap hit in 2023); Tae Crowder ($1.01 million); Chapelle Russell ($940,000); Mark Robinson ($898,089)

Restricted free agents: None

Unrestricted free agents: Devin Bush ($3.068 million salary in 2022); Marcus Allen ($2.54 million); Robert Spillane ($2.433 million)

Outside linebacker

Under contract: T.J. Watt ($29.368 million cap hit for 2023); Alex Highsmith ($2.95 million); Emeke Egbule ($1.01 million); Jamir Jones ($940,000)

Restricted free agents: None

Unrestricted free agent: Malik Reed ($1.5 million salary in 2022).