The Pittsburgh Steelers have no shortage of options in free agency, but perhaps their best bet is someone they haven't considered before: Jay Ajayi.
There are a number of reasons why Ajayi — the impending free agent running back for the Philadelphia Eagles — is a good contender for the Steelers once he enters free agency.
He has experience. Originally selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth-round draft, Jay Ajayi was acquired by Philadelphia from Miami in exchange for a 2018 4th-round pick on 10/31/17. In 2016, Ajayi was voted to his first career Pro Bowl after totaling the third-most rushing yards (1,272) in Dolphins single-season history and becoming just the fourth player in NFL history to rush for 200+ yards three times in the same season. He's not one of the showiest players on the field, to be sure, but he's someone who's a solid and experienced player that delivers the goods when he performs.
Ajayi helped the Eagles get to the playoffs. Pittsburgh needs a comeback after too much drama with Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger has led to the team taking their focus off the ball, all puns intended — and in order to get that, they need players who are focused on the game and not on walking the red carpet.
There will be plenty of time to walk the red carpet after they win a few games, but for now, Jay Ajayi would more than help them get back on their feet.
He keeps his personal life drama free and wholesome. Whether we like it or not, a player's personal life will inevitably bleed over into his on-field performance, and that never works out well in either direction.
Ajayi doesn't have that sort of drama to worry about. In fact, his private life is merely an extension of his football life and one in which the two worlds blend together wholesomely. Jay Ajayi took part in the NFL's “My Cause, My Cleats” campaign in the 2016 season. The campaign allowed players to wear custom cleats supporting their favorite charities. His cause was multiple endocrine neoplasia.
In short, while Ajayi isn't the most dynamic player to ever take the field, he is one of the most solid, and one of the many players that can help the Steelers reach their goals next season.
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