When the Pittsburgh Steelers built their dynasty in the 1970s, they had incredible players on offense and defense. And perhaps nothing embodied them more than their linebacking corps of Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, and Andy Russell. When the Steelers began winning Super Bowls again in the 2000s, they had commanding presences at linebacker like James Farrior and Larry Foote. The last time they were competing for a Super Bowl, they had Ryan Shazier leading the defense. Recently, the Steelers have lacked that kind of presence at linebacker but based on Mike Tomlin’s recent comments, it seems like the Steelers have solved that issue.
Speaking to the media Thursday after the last day of minicamp, Tomlin was asked what Elandon Roberts has brought to the linebacker room since he was signed last year. In his first season as a Steeler, Roberts was asked to do a ton as a result of injuries and even played through some adversity himself, still operating at a high level. Tomlin’s comments on him reflect that superb ability.
“He’s a pro. He’s smart. He’s a good teammate. He loves football. He likes to talk about it, he’s a good communicator,” Tomlin said. “And it’s just good to have those skills, particularly at that position.”
Tomlin’s description of Roberts paints the picture of the perfect linebacker, and while he does have his flaws, Roberts’ play last year was crucial to the Steelers’ success. Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander were supposed to be the starters, with Roberts being primarily a run-stopper. Then, both Holcomb and Alexander suffered season-ending injuries in back-to-back weeks with Holcomb only now working closer to playing this year. In response, Roberts stepped up as the quarterback on defense, providing consistency and stability to a unit that was in free fall.
Roberts wasn’t the only linebacker Tomlin praised Thursday as he was also asked about the newly signed Patrick Queen. Queen was with the Ravens before joining the Steelers, so he’s familiar with AFC North football.
“You get a guy like Queen, and it doesn’t matter about the other components of the equation. He’s just a good well-rounded football player,” Tomlin said. “And he showed that here in a football-like environment. Can’t wait to get him to Latrobe.”
The Steelers shelled out quite a bit of money to Queen, so ideally he’ll be a major contributor immediately. It appears he’ll be wearing the green dot, which means he will be the quarterback on defense. For the Steelers, they’ve only ever gotten as far as their linebackers have taken them. It’s tough to have a great defense without an excellent communicator in the middle. With Roberts and Queen, and maybe even rookie Payton Wilson, it seems like the Steelers have finally solidified their linebacker group.
