The Steelers are now in their offseason after failing to reach the playoffs in 2022, coming up just a game short of sneaking in as the seventh seed. They needed help in week 18 and only got some of it, so instead they sat home and watched the playoffs with the rest of us.
On tap is figuring out how to be on the field in January and February instead of being a spectator. They started out 2-6, digging a hole that proved too deep to dig out of even if they managed to go 7-2 in the second half of the year.
Starting from the end of the regular season and leading all the way up to the beginning of the 2023 season, there are plenty of questions that need answered, starting with who will be the offensive coordinator. Which free agents will be kept? Who might be let go due to their salary? How might they tackle free agency with this new front office? We’ll try to frame the conversation in relevant ways as long as you stick with us throughout this offseason, as we have for many years.
Question: Will the Steelers try out Nick Herbig at inside linebacker during training camp?
While multiple members of the Steelers organization have stressed their belief that rookie linebacker Nick Herbig possesses inside-outside versatility, it very much appears as though their intention is to focus on working him as an outside linebacker.
That’s what he played in college, and that’s the coaching he’s been getting from Denzel Martin, who leads the team’s outside linebackers. It’s also arguably where they are more in need of depth, even with the addition of veteran Markus Golden, as the most notable player behind him is Quincy Roche.
Still, the Steelers have stars at outside linebacker. They don’t have anything close to that at inside linebacker, and some feel that Herbig could develop into a very good one. enabling him to play either outside or inside also substantially increases not only his value to the team but also his odds of actually getting onto the field.
At the moment, Pittsburgh’s inside linebacker room consists of Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts at the top of the depth chart, behind whom are Mark Robinson, Tanner Muse, and Nick Kwiatkoski. One can argue that the majority of the group is past its prime.
As a fourth-round pick, Herbig’s odds of making the 53-man roster are strong (though not without vulnerability). Repping him inside may actually be an indication of a lack of confidence in his ability to play on the outside, as well, so it wouldn’t necessarily be a good thing if that does end up happening.
It is a question that has been asked, however; at draft time, many felt that his best professional position may ultimately end up being on the inside due to his size and overall skillset, even if he was a productive edge rusher for the Wisconsin Badgers. What we do know is that Pittsburgh is open to playing him inside, if it’s in the best interests of the team. What we don’t know is what would lead them to that conclusion, specifically.
