Entering the offseason following a rather up-and-down 2022 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers identified the inside linebacker room as a real area of need and general weakness on the roster.
A handful of moves later in free agency, the Steelers look like they have found the right combination for success at the pivotal position defensively.
Veterans Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, Kwon Alexander, Tanner Muse and Nick Kwiatkoski were brought in via free agency, and through two preseason matchups the veteran additions look like sound adds. That has former Steelers inside linebacker Ryan Shazier pleased overall with what he’s seeing at a position he once used to hold down for the Black and Gold.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers ever since I’ve been injured – and obviously I don’t like to talk about it that much – we’ve gone through our trials and tribulations with younger linebackers and we had a few older ones. Now they’re like, ‘We’re going to bring in a bunch of veteran linebackers into this linebacker corps’ and you’ve seen the playmaking ability already the last two games,” Shazier said Saturday night on KDKA-TV’s Nightly Sports Call following the Steelers’ 27-15 win over Buffalo. “Cole Holcomb made the tip that allowed us to have the interception. They’re already making a lot of plays, and that’s just one veteran.”
In years past, the Steelers have tried to roll a number of different combinations at inside linebacker after Shazier’s tragic injury in 2017. Names like Devin Bush, Myles Jack, Joe Schobert, Robert Spillane, Avery Williamson, Jon Bostic and Sean Spence have passed through the room with very little success. Communication was an issue, as was playmaking and overall run defense.
So far though with a rebuilt inside linebacker room, things are looking up and certainly garnering plenty of praise and attention from a guy like Shazier.
“A huge upgrade to the linebacker crew, You’ve seen the skill sets that all bring. You have Elandon [Roberts], who can help us on first and second down, he understands how to make plays, understands how to make play calls. You have someone in Cole Holcomb, who is a three-down ‘backer,” Shazier said. “You have Kwon Alexander, who made a lot of plays last week. We didn’t hear his name as much this week but that’s just telling you the depth that we’re bringing in in the linebacker corps. They’re teaching Mark Robinson all this information and he can learn all this, just seeing the guys playing in front of him.”
On paper, the new additions to the inside linebacker room all bring unique talents to the Steelers. Holcomb feels like the all-around linebacker who can play the run and drop into coverage. Roberts is that downhill thumper who brings a physical presence. Alexander provides a bit of both physicality and athleticism at the position.
Holcomb is a great communicator and will likely have the green dot for the defense. Throughout tape in Washington, Holcomb was that field general from the inside linebacker position, getting guys lined up properly before the snap. He knew what everyone was doing on every play. Roberts and Alexander are the same way.
Where Robert sand Alexander will make their mark in Pittsburgh is by literally leaving their mark on opponents. They are the physical ones, the ones who fly downhill, dish out major punishment and do it over and over again. That’s what attracted the Steelers to them, and so far they’ve shown to be worth the investment. Pittsburgh has been missing that since Vince Williams retired. The Steelers have it in abundance now, even with second-year pro Mark Robinson as a depth piece.
After trying to shift with the NFL game and get high-end athletes with great speed and at the ability to play in space at the position, the Steelers seem to have shifted back to historically what worked in the 3-4 defense: physicality and communication.
The linebacker room feels upgraded in a big way, which should play a key role in the Steelers getting back to a high level of play defensively. They showed that again Saturday night with Holcomb’s tipped pass leading to an interception along with his tackle for loss, Robinson making plays all over the field and Roberts being that physical presence downhill.
