As the NFL free agency frenzy continues, the Jaguars completed one of the more underrated deals early Tuesday morning. The Jaguars announced they would be signing former Steelers defensive lineman Tyson Alualu. The terms of the deal were 2 years, $6 million.
The former Steeler doesn’t stand out when one looks at his traditional stats. He amassed two sacks and four tackles for loss in 15 games for the Steelers last season. He also finished with five passes defended and five quarterback hits on the season. However, Alualu was a big part of a stellar Steelers defensive line.
The Steelers finished with the highest pass-rush win rate in the league last season. While pressures are not a widely reported stat, Alualu certainly had his fair share last season. He is a great run defender and plugs gaps well. Alaualu finished 9th in overall grade amongst interior defensive lineman last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Alualu returns to his former team with this deal with Jacksonville. The Jaguars selected him 10th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. In his first seven years with the Jags, Alualu had 17.5 sacks and 30 tackles for loss. He left the Jaguars for free agency in March 2017. The Jaguars address a big need at defensive tackle with the pickup of Alualu.
