Former New England Patriots first round pick was released Wednesday after only 2 seasons. A recent article by Ben Volen of the Boston Globe paints a somewhat conflicting picture: https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/patriots/2016/04/13/patriots-release-dominique-easley/VxfcDYPp0ieEh0mDVBRp5H/story.html To go along with his apparent attitude issues, Easley also had a multitude of injury concerns. Easley tore both ACL’s during his college career. He also finished both of his pro seasons on IR once for the knee, and last season was for a torn quad muscle.
So why should Pittsburgh be interested? Well the Steelers need to add some quality depth at defensive end, and Dominique Easley would be perfect for that. At 6’2″, 285lbs Easely fits the physical requirements Pitsburgh is looking for. On a per game basis, Dominique Easley was one of the most productive interior pass rushers in 2015 according to the Volen article. In that article, Volen points out that Easley averaged a QB pressure once every six pass rushes. That’s production the Steelers would love to have. As far as money goes, Easley can probably be had for a veterans minimum contract. New England is still on the hook for over a million dollars after cutting the former first round pick. A one year deal works well for both sides in this situation. Easley gets to rebuild his reputation, while the Steelers get a potential stud who’s playing for a big payday. Pittsburgh has too many holes on defense to fill just on the draft alone. Taking a risk on a troubled, but highly skilled free agent would be a great move for next season.