The Steelers will meet with free agent inside linebacker Arthur Moats, likely on Monday, tweets Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Moats, 26, has drawn a surprising lack of interest during free agency. He started 12 games last season for the Bills, accruing 54 tackles and grading as the 12th-best inside linebacker in the league, especially excelling in run defense, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He would slot in next to Lawrence Timmons in the Steelers 3-4 defense.
Some other Steelers items:
- Robinson also tweets the Steelers will add a veteran running back, and corroborates an earlier report that the team will meet with LeGarrette Blount on Friday.
- Continuing on the running back theme, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette chimes in, adding that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin “felt good” about last week’s visit with RB Maurice Jones-Drew, and that Pittsburgh remains amenable to signing the veteran (Twitter link).
- Dulac also adds that the team maintains interest in bringing back linebacker James Harrison, quoting general manager Kevin Colbert as saying the team is “never going to close the door on any possibility, especially with a guy who was a huge part of our success” (via Twitter).
- Dulac tweets that recently-signed Cam Thomas will work as a defensive end, but could also get time at defensive tackle.
- Robinson reports that the Steelers scouting staff will attend the pro days of North Carolina, Duke, and Texas A&M, with Colbert and Tomlin likely attending the Aggies event (Twitter link).
- Signing a steady, low-cost free agent like receiver Lance Moore is symbolic of the Steelers free agency strategy, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com.