After overhauling the inside linebacker room during the offseason, bringing in veterans Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts and Kwon Alexander in free agency, the Pittsburgh Steelers are rather pleased with the production the group is giving them defensively.
It’s coming via a three-man rotation with Holcomb, Roberts and Alexander all sharing time in certain situations through the first three weeks of the season.
Holcomb, wearing the green dot, is playing a vast majority of the snaps at inside linebacker, seeing 81.06% of the snaps (184) through three weeks. Alexander, who plays mostly on passing downs, sits at 64.32% of the snaps (146) while Roberts — who has been a bit banged up early in the year — sits at 32.16% of the snaps (73) so far.
The rotation has worked well, which has Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin liking what he’s seeing.
“I think it’s good, I think we have three starter-capable guys. It keeps them fresh, keeps them engaged,” Austin said to reporters Thursday, according to video via the Tribune-Review’s Chris Adamski on Twitter. “I think it’s working well. I like what all three of them are doing, and we have to keep them healthy and upright until the end of the season.”
The rotation is working nicely, and the Steelers are getting quite a bit of production out of the trio.
So far, Holcomb has recorded 18 tackles, two tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a pass defensed. He’s been quite the find for the Steelers, providing some splash to the linebacker room, matching the production in three games that the likes of Myles Jack and Devin Bush provided all last season for Pittsburgh.
Alexander, who was signed a few days into training camp, hit the ground running and has worked his way into a larger role. He currently leads the Steelers in tackles with 24 and has one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit. Roberts plays primarily in run-down situations and has played well in that role, recording 13 tackles and two tackles for loss.
Though it’s a bit strange at times seeing a three-man rotation at inside linebacker, the Steelers have three veterans and three starter-capable players, like Austin said, who are handling their roles well and are playing at a high level, all while keeping each other fresh.
It’s working out quite well for the Black and Gold. All three grade out at 62.1 or higher by Pro Football Focus. Alexander sits at 62.1, while Holcomb is a 65.9 and Roberts is a 73.8.
