BY DAN BEGNOCHE
The Buffalo Bills have made their moves at linebacker. Now, Arthur Moats seems to have made his.
Following reports that the 26-year-old was set to visit the Pittsburgh Steelers early this week, the linebacker has apparently signed a one-year with the team, according to Pro Football Talk.
The move comes after Buffalo signed two free agent linebackers -- Keith Rivers and Brandon Spikes -- to help up its run-stopping ability and adjust to Jim Schwartz's defensive schematic.
While Moats performed well against the run in his 12 starts last year, Spikes is far and away better the better linebacker up the middle, particularly in a 4-3 scheme. That, coupled with teammate Kiko Alonso moving to the outside as a bookend with Rivers, left few options for Moats in terms of contribution.
According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, Moats's deal with Pittsburgh is worth just south of 800K. He joins Lawrence Timmons on a linebacking crew that struggled against the run last year and allowed 4.3 yards per carry to opposing running backs. The former James Madison standout will likely contribute on special teams for the Steelers, as well.
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