Steelers' expected to sign former All-Pro DB Desmond King
The Pittsburgh Steelers put together their initial 53-man roster yesterday, giving some players a sigh of relief, and signaling they made the active roster in Pittsburgh. But after the latest news from Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, at least one member of the team is back walking on eggshells: King Me A former first-team All-Pro […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers put together their initial 53-man roster yesterday, giving some players a sigh of relief, and signaling they made the active roster in Pittsburgh.
But after the latest news from Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, at least one member of the team is back walking on eggshells:
King Me
A former first-team All-Pro with the Chargers, Desmond King is a versatile defender who can play in a variety of secondary alignments. A surprising cut by the Texans yesterday, King's services were always going to be lauded.
I reached out to Justin Churchill of A to Z Sports Houston for some background on King and what he's bringing to Pittsburgh:
Desmond King will be a good player for what the Pittsburgh Steelers want to do on defense," Churhcill told me. Which is probably why they reached out so quickly to get him on their 53-man roster. His 2022 season wasn't his 2018 All-Pro season, but it also wasn't bad. He is versatile in that he can play a bit of free safety, nickel, or slot (334 snaps in 2022) and on the outside (505 snaps in 2022). He also blitzed 12 times last year with a pass rush grade of 80 King did, though, have a tackling issue in 2022.
– Justin Churchill, A to Z Sports Houston
A plus defender in every sense of the position, if you're wondering how a 28-year-old former All-Pro somehow ended up on the NFL streets, Churchill contextualized the reasoning perfectly:
King didn't make the roster because of the other defensive backs. The Texans have a ton of young guys in their secondary, and they want to keep it young or younger so that they can develop talent, whereas King has already hit his ceiling. King is a surprise cut because of the veteran presence he has, along with his versatility. – Justin Churchill, A to Z Sports Houston
How Much Does He Have Left?
The question that many Steelers fans are probably wondering, what exactly can we expect from King in 2023 and beyond?
I reached out to Jordan Pun of The 33rd Team and The Texans Wire to figure that out:
King has been a steady force for Houston, starting 25 games in the past 2 seasons. He’s versatile to play outside but is best suited in the nickel, handling zone coverage responsibilities. With 5 INTs and 14 PBUs in 2021 and 2022, his ball production speaks for itself. He is also adept at blitzing, but was rarely asked to do so as a Texan – there’s untapped production here. Versus the run, King is a very willing tackler and can make impact plays with more talent around him – 10 TFLs in 2022. Overall, King is a solid starter and extremely valuable depth piece who’s an asset to the locker room and a perfect fit for the Steelers.
– Jordan Pun, The 33rd Team, Texans Wire
Seeing as Pittsburgh still has 53 men on their roster, someone is heading out to make room for King but it may not have to be fan favorite Elijah Riley or veteran nickel Chandon Sullivan.
Pittsburgh has two punters on the roster as of publishing, and are still searching for a dance partner when it comes to a trade. Hopefully, King will replace that vacant spot once Pittsburgh trades either Mann or Harvin, not one of the corners.
State of the Steelers: Initial 2023 53-man roster
Here is your first look at the official roster of the 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of Week 1
Featured image via: © Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
