Taco Charlton takes Melvin Ingram's roster spot, role in Steelers OLB rotation

The Pittsburgh Steelers gave new meaning to the phrase Taco Tuesday.

Taco Charlton is in, and Melvin Ingram III is out after a day when the Steelers reconfigured their outside linebacker rotation behind starters T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.

Ingram, who was disgruntled in his role as the team’s No. 3 linebacker, was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick in the 2022 draft. To replace him on the 53-man roster, the Steelers signed Charlton, a former first-round draft pick, from their practice squad.

Charlton’s signing comes two days after he was elevated from the practice squad and played 10 snaps in a 15-10 victory at Cleveland, a game Ingram missed with what the team listed as a groin injury.

Ingram’s frustration with his lack of playing time was reported in multiple accounts by NFL Network, and the Steelers worked to trade him in advance of the league’s 4 p.m. deadline Tuesday.

Coach Mike Tomlin alluded to Ingram’s unhappiness at his weekly press conference when he said, “From a team perspective, it’s better to have volunteers than hostages.”

Seeking to add a veteran presence at outside linebacker to make up for Bud Dupree’s departure in free agency, the Steelers signed Ingram, also a former first-rounder, to a one-year, $4 million contract the week leading into training camp.

Ingram’s stay lasted all of six games. He had his only sack in the home opener against Las Vegas and played every defensive snap the following week against Cincinnati while Highsmith was dealing with an injury. But when Highsmith’s workload increased, Ingram saw increased time on the bench. He played 17 snaps in Week 6 against Seattle.

“It just didn’t work out the way we envisioned, the way he envisioned,” Tomlin said. “Sometimes that happens in free agency, and that’s really culturally why we build our team primarily through the draft. When you do business with guys from the time they are 20 or 21, you’ve got time to be part of their growth and development. They’ve got an opportunity to buy into your system of ball and their roles in it at a young age. It just makes the division of labor a more fluid thing.”

Ingram, on the other hand, is 32 and a veteran of 10 seasons, the first nine spent with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers.

“Free agency makes it more cumbersome at times to get to know (a player) on a lot of levels as you prepare for games,” Tomlin said. “It’s good for him. We wish him the best moving forward, but it’s also good for us. We’re excited about the growth and development of Taco.”

The Steelers signed Charlton to the practice squad Sept. 20. Charlton, coincidentally, spent the preseason with the Chiefs before being released Aug. 23. The Steelers are the fourth organization to employ Charlton, who was the No. 28 overall pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2017. The Steelers took T.J. Watt two picks later. Charlton, though, never developed into an elite pass-rusher, accumulating 11 sacks over four seasons. He spent 2019 with Miami and last season with Kansas City.

“He’s a talented guy. That is why he was taken where he was in the draft,” Tomlin said. “He’s long, he’s athletic, he’s got an appetite for the rush component of play. He’s good with his hands against tight ends and tight end-like people. He’s an outside linebacker who spent time as a defensive lineman in college and in this league. Those guys usually play with heavy hands that make them good in the run game.

“He’s very similar to Melvin Ingram in that way.”

Tomlin said the Steelers wanted to assess Charlton’s play against the Browns before swinging a deal to get Ingram off the roster. He didn’t register any stats in his 10 snaps. The other reserve outside linebacker on the roster, Derek Tuska, had one tackle while playing five snaps.

“He gave us more than adequate work, and we’re going to continue to give him opportunities along with Derek to fortify the depth at the outside linebacker position,” Tomlin said. “We’re obviously extremely comfortable about the growth and development of Alex Highsmith.”

The Steelers will see Ingram on Dec. 26 when they play the Chiefs in Kansas City. It wasn’t ideal for the Steelers to make a deal with a future opponent, particularly an AFC contender, but it turned out to be the best offer on the table.

“That’s always a component of the discussion,” Tomlin said. “That is why you play the market. You see who is interested and at what level. At the end of the day, we have to make decisions that’s best for us.”