BREAKING NEWS: Defense line depth is provided by Armon Watts.
Throughout his rookie season with the Black and Gold, reserve defensive lineman Armon Watts has proven to be a reliable player despite not being the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ most well-known player.
Mark Kaboly of The Athletic explains why the team would be open to re-signing Watts in the offseason.
With Heyward down early in the season, Watts played more than he did towards the end. The fact that he only saw 22 snaps in the final three games against teams who valued running is not encouraging for the Steelers’ future plans for him. But Watts is young, cheap (probably the league minimum), and a defensive lineman, all of which should be advantages for the Steelers. In 15 games this season, he recorded 15 tackles and three quarterback hits.
Watts can play in several key roles for the Steelers again, even though his output decreased in the second part of the season. Watts is someone who could eat up snaps that the Steelers legend Cameron Heyward might not be able to fulfill due to injuries and mileage catching up. Heyward is still getting older. In addition, he is less expensive than a rookie or recent veteran who would find it difficult to work inside the system.
While keeping Watts may not be a life-or-death decision, it is still important to make the right choice because little decisions can have significant consequences at any point throughout the year. The depth he offered was especially helpful this season when Heyward was sidelined due to a groin injury, missing six games altogether.
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