Jan 25, 2016 4 min read

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Cameron Heyward said following the Steelers’ 23-16 playoff loss at Denver that he would like to see the team go to more of a rotation on the defensive line next year to help keep everyone fresh.

Mike Tomlin’s response? He would play more guys if they deserved the playing time.

Ouch!

But both guys have a point. The Steelers can’t continue to have Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt on the field 90-plus percent of the time if the team hopes to keep them on the field on a consistent basis.

At the same time, the Steelers didn’t have the quality depth to avoid that in 2015. With that in mind, here’s a look at the team’s defensive line moving forward:

Guys under contract: Cam Heyward; Stephon Tuitt; Daniel McCullers and L.T. Walton

Heyward is the leader of the team’s defense, both on and off the field. Still just 26, he’s recorded 14.5 sacks in the past two seasons and continues to be the anchor on the team’s line. Tuitt, in his second season, isn’t far behind. Despite missing a couple of games with an ankle sprain – the Steelers lost both – Tuitt had 54 tackles and 6.5 sacks. He told me in the preseason that he felt the Steelers have two defensive linemen capabale of being 10-sack guys and he’s absolutely correct. The scary thing about Tuitt is that he’s still just 22 years old and getting better. After those two, the Steelers have no proven talent signed for next year. McCullers is big and can be dominant at times, but he doesn’t play with any fire or consistency. That’s a big reason why he got just 105 snaps in 2015. Rookie L.T. Walton played even less, seeing just 41 snaps, mostly when Tuitt was out. He remains a project and likely wouldn’t have played at all if Tuitt hadn’t gotten hurt.

Free agents: Steve McLendon; Cam Thomas; Clifton Geathers: The only guy on this list the Steelers can’t do without is McLendon. That might not be overly popular with some fans, who seemingly want to blame McLendon for the team’s defensive ills despite the fact he is on the field just 34 percent of the time, but with McCullers still a big – no pun intended – question mark, bringing McLendon back is a necessity. He won’t break the bank and can also play end in a pinch. Thomas’ signing was a misguided one. While he was OK at times at nose tackle, he proved time and again that he couldn’t play end. Geathers was a hot topic in the offseason, but couldn’t make it through training camp healthy and just looks like a guy. He could be brought back on a minimum-wage deal to compete for a roster spot.

FA targets: William Hayes, Rams; Jason Jones, Lions; Jeremy Mincey, Cowboys; Akiem Hicks, Patriots; Corbin Bryant, Bills

If the Steelers do want to go to more of a rotation on their defensive line, they’ll likely have to go the free agent route to add a body or two. As I said, bringing McLendon back should be a priority. But adding a competent replacement for Thomas should be, as well. Hayes is a guy who will be 31 next season, but he’s been an effective pass rusher for the Rams after following Jeff Fisher over from Tennessee. In the past four seasons as a rotational guy in St. Louis, he’s had 7, 5, 4 and 5.5 sacks. He’s also solid in the run game. … Jones is a guy who has been a starter throughout his career but is probably better suited as a backup. He does have 9.5 sacks in the past two seasons. … Mincey’s best days are behind him, but as a situational guy, he could be OK, certainly better than Thomas. … Hicks was acquired by the Patriots in a trade with the Saints and was a solid rotational guy for New England, contributing 21 tackles and three sacks. … Bryant began his career with the Steelers and has gotten a lot of experience with the Bills the past three seasons. He’s not a big sack guy, but obviously he fits the mold for what the Steelers look for at defensive end.