LB Elandon Roberts stepped into a bigger role than he was expecting last Sunday against the Green By Packers, taking on a full three-down role at inside linebacker after LB Kwon Alexander went down with an Achilles injury. Roberts ended up logging 96% of the team’s defensive snaps, playing more in pass-coverage situations than he normally would with Alexander and LB Cole Holcomb both out of the lineup.
With both Alexander and Holcomb on the shelf for the rest of the season due to their respective injuries, Roberts is the lone man left standing from Pittsburgh’s inside linebacker rotation. DC Teryl Austin was asked Thursday if Roberts will see his role increase to a three-down linebacker in Pittsburgh’s defense and what specifically makes Austin think that he could be capable of such a role if given that opportunity.
“He hasn’t been because obviously we had Cole and then we had Kwon, but I think he’s got the mental ability to do it,” Austin said to the media on Thursday via audio provided by the Steelers’ PR Department. “He can get things lined up, he knows where to go, all those good things. And so, I think at this point, you trust him the most in terms of being that guy to be in there. But we’ll see how it plays out because we have some other guys. We’ve just gotta find out a little bit more about them.”
When it comes to playing above-the-neck, Roberts is an instinctual player who can process quickly and fly to the football. You see that in his tape as he will make adjustments pre-snap and triggers downhill in a hurry, looking to fill gaps and provide that physical run-stopping presence. He also has shown the capability of making plays in coverage too, completing zone drops and having his eyes take him to the ball to impact the pass.
Still, Roberts isn’t the best athlete when it comes to playing in space and covering backs and tight ends in man-to-man coverage. He lacks that long speed and quickness to consistently hold up playing side-to-side and working backward. Still, Roberts is the lead candidate to wear the green dot for Pittsburgh’s defense with Alexander and Holcomb out, making him a guy that may be hard to pull off the field on nearly half of the defensive snaps.
“He is a great communicator,” Austin said about Roberts. “Good green-dot guy. Really vocal. Takes charge of the huddle, takes pride in taking charge of the huddle. So, I have no qualms about him being a green-dot guy.”
Austin did point to the Steelers’ other options at inside linebacker that they have in the room, suggesting that they could keep a rotation with Roberts playing more early downs as a run defender with other guys playing the role Alexander and Holcomb did on passing downs. LBs Mykal Walker and Tariq Carpenter look to be the favorites for that role. Carpenter is a former safety with a good athletic profile while Walker is started for the Atlanta Falcons last season with pass-coverage experience on his resume. Walker was told by LB Coach Aaron Curry to be ready for all personnel groups, suggesting he may get some exposure on Sunday in Pittsburgh’s sub-package defense as well as rotate in its base defense.
Roberts is the most experienced player left in Pittsburgh’s inside linebacker room, making him a possible fit for a three-down role. However, knowing his skill set and what he does well, it would be in Pittsburgh’s best interest to see if any of the other options on the roster can provide capable play on passing downs and allow Roberts to continue to operate in a role where he can be successful.
