OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 07: Melvin Ingram #54 of the Los Angeles Chargers participates in warm ups before the game against the Oakland Raiders at RingCentral Coliseum on November 07, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
It seemed imminent that the Kansas City Chiefs were set to sign Melvin Ingram, but the Pittsburgh Steelers have emerged as a last-second candidate.
After it looked likely that former Los Angeles Chargers edge rusher Melvin Ingram would be staying in the AFC West by going to Kansas City, it appears the Pittsburgh Steelers have emerged as a threat to sign the three-time Pro Bowler.
The Steelers are bringing in Ingram for a visit in hopes of making him the second former Pro Bowler to sign with the team this offseason. Due to Bud Dupree leaving Pittsburgh and opting to sign with the Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh lacks a viable edge rusher opposite of two-time All-Pro T.J. Watt, who is coming off a season in which he lead the NFL with 15 sacks.
Will the Steelers sign Melvin Ingram after his visit?
While second-year man Alex Highsmith showed some promise after Dupree went down with a torn ACL, Ingram is a veteran who would immediately fill the void Dupree left behind. Highsmith will still be a prominent part of the rotation, but adding Ingram to a front seven that already consists of Watt, Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, and Tyson Alualu would make the Steelers pass rush all the more dangerous.
Adding Ingram would also do wonders for the Steelers secondary, which has a lot of question marks heading into camp. A good pass rush can cover up a lot of flaws in coverage. After losing both Steven Nelson and Mike Hilton, the Steelers need all the defensive help they can get to prevent an increase of big plays given up.
The biggest win for Pittsburgh out of this, though, is keeping Ingram out of Kansas City. The last thing Pittsburgh needs in their quest for another Super Bowl is another dominant player on the Chiefs’ front seven.
Tampa Bay proved the best way to beat the Chiefs is by getting pressure on Patrick Mahomes. If the Steelers want to compete with the best the league has to offer, a dominant pass rush could be their key to getting back to the top.