After remaining relatively inactive during the first wave of free agency, Pittsburgh as been busy this week signing three players into days with the franchise’s latest acquisition seeing the Steelers sign Tyson Alualu the free agent defensive lineman from Jacksonville to a two year contract.
- During the 2010 NFL Draft the Jacksonville Jaguars surprised the rest of the league when they drafted Tyson Alualu with the 10th overall pick.
Since then Tyson Alualu has had a solid, but hardly spectacular career, although it should be noted that he did make several “All Rookie teams” in 2010, per reporting by Jim Wexell on Steel City Insider.
Steelers reserve defensive lineman Tyson Alualu in Pittsburgh after arriving as a free agent. Photo Credit: Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette
With seven seasons under his belt, Tyson Alualu provides a perfect example of a player who may not have lived up to his lofty draft status, but is very far from being a bust. He’s never missed a game due to injury, he brings the Steelers 88 games of starting experience, 17.5 sacks, and offers position flexibility with the ability to play either nose tackle or defensive end.
All of this must make for pure music in the ears of Steelers defensive line coach John Mitchell
Does John Mitchell Finally Have his Coveted 4th Lineman?
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line coach John Mitchell has been with the team since the fall of 1994, having replace Steve Furness as part of Bill Cowher‘s coaching purge following the 1993 season. During John Mitchell’s watch and, particularly during the Kevin Colbert era, the Steelers defensive line has been a model of stability.
- During Pittsburgh second Super Bowl Era, Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, Kimo von Oelhoffen and then Brett Keisel provided the bed rock that the Steelers defense rested upon.
While each of those starters played a critical role in securing Lombardi Trophies in Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII, their impact and importance of their understudies cannot be under stated. John Mitchell’s system relies heavily on rotating defensive lineman in and out throughout the game.
- But for Mitchell’s system to be effective, the Steelers can’t suffer a drop of in quality of play when the starter has taken a breather.
For a long time, players like Chris Hoke, Travis Kirschke and Nick Eason were good enough to allow Mitchell rotate Keisel, Smith and Hampton in out as needed. In his two years in Pittsburgh, Al Woods looked he was growing into that same role but the Steelers stint in salary cap purgatory in prevented the team from keeping Al Woods in Pittsburgh in 2014.
They signed Cam Thomas instead, who was decidedly not up to the role. Daniel McCullers whom the Steelers drafted during the 2014 NFL Draft has flashed, but has yet to show he can take that role. Ricardo Mathews performed well after Cam Hewyard was lost for the season and so did L.T. Walton.
- But the Steelers appear to have found an upgrade from both men in Tyson Alualu.
During the heyday of Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel’s tenures, John Mitchell quipped – not altogether jokingly – the he would retire when this trio began their “Life’s Work.” The arrival of Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt and most recently Javon Hargrave has provided Mitchell with another fearsome threesome.
Tyson Alualu just might provide the type of talent and stability that Mitchell needs to get his rotation humming.
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