Former First Round Pick of the Steelers Signs with the Cleveland Browns
Teams in the AFC North, like the Pittsburgh Steelers, have been busy this offseason adding players to their squads who were once part of their division rivals.
Geno Stone moved to the Bengals from the Ravens.
This offseason, the Steelers have actually double dipped against previous opponents. Initially, they pulled off the sensational move of signing Patrick Queen out of the Ravens.
Then they signed DeShon Elliott, a former safety for the Ravens, to their roster.
The Cleveland Browns have since joined in on the fun.
Linebacker Devin Bush was signed by the Browns to a one-year contract, according to a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on March 14.
The Steelers selected Bush with the 10th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he played with them for the first four years of his career.
A Poor Selection by the Steelers
on 2019, the Steelers made a significant investment on Bush.
The Steelers gave up the 20th overall pick, the 52nd overall pick, and a third-round pick in the 2020 draft to advance to pick 10 in the draft.
The investment yielded no profit.
For Bush, things were going fairly well at first. As a rookie, he recorded 109 tackles, nine of which were for a loss, and he also had two pass interceptions. He placed third in the 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year vote as a result of his efforts.
Unfortunately, that was Bush’s high point.
He was limited to just five games in 2020 due to an ACL tear.
Though he was able to play in 14 games upon his return in 2021, his output was far lower than it was in his rookie season. He struggled against the run and pass, making just 70 tackles.
Before the 2022 season, the Steelers ultimately decided not to pick up his rookie deal’s fifth-year option.
Despite his improved play in 2022—he was engaged in 81 tackles—he was not able to stay in Pittsburgh.
After four dismal seasons with the Steelers, he ultimately left for the Seahawks.
During his rookie season in Seattle, Bush primarily served as a backup, seeing only 27% of the field time in each game.
He will now have two chances to meet his old squad in 2024, but they will be pleased with how well they have taken his position.
How They’ve Accommodated
After Bush left in free agency, the Steelers moved swiftly to replace him.
The Steelers signed Cole Holcomb to a three-year contract, Kwon Alexander for a year, and Elandon Roberts to a two-year deal during the 2023 offseason.
Roberts’ decision paid off, as he will be back in the starting lineup for the Steelers in 2024. However, in 2023, Alexander and Holcomb suffered serious injuries.
The Steelers searched for Roberts’ partner in the 2024 summer since they knew he would be a starting inside linebacker going forward.
In Queen, they discovered a very good one.
Queen recently finished a season in which he had 133 tackles and was selected to the All-Pro Second Team.
The Steelers now have a potent front seven thanks to his arrival.
After passing on the Bush choice, the Steelers needed some time to address their inside linebacker dilemma, but they now have a solid starting lineup at the position.
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