The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a revolving door at inside linebacker since ascending star Ryan Shazier suffered a career-ending injury during the 2017 season. Going into the 2023 campaign, the Steelers will call upon free agent signings Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts to command the middle of the defense and provide the Steelers a long-term answer at off-ball linebacker. While Holcomb and Roberts have proven their ability to be starting-caliber players in this league, they are questions as to whether or not they possess the necessary talent to play all three downs.
Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers ILB, Cole Holcomb During Offseason Workouts
During a recent episode of The North Shore Drive Podcast, hosted by Christopher Carter, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explained how he personally would like to see the Steelers continue to add to the inside linebacker room, but believes the Steelers are all in on their new duo of Holcomb and Roberts.
"I'm not sold on the inside linebackers. I just think that the Steelers obviously view them differently because guys like Kwon Alexander and Deion Jones could have been brought in. They've been able to do that for a while now and yet they put their chips in on Holcomb and Roberts," said Batko.
The Steelers Are Likely Done In Adding To The Inside Linebacker Room
With training camp a little over a month away, it is beginning to look like the Steelers seem to be content with their current group of middle linebackers, especially with the recent signing of veteran Nick Kwiatkoski. The Steelers will round out the room with Mark Robinson and Tanner Muse. Not exactly household names, but the potential for success is certainly there. Robinson, who is entering his second season after an impressive, but limited showing in 2022, is in line to be the primary backup to Holcomb and Roberts. His tough-nose, downhill style of play will lend well to stopping the run, but may present issues in pass coverage.
KARL ROSER / PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Steelers' Mark Robinson Will Likely Be The Team's Primary Backup At Inside Linebacker In 2023
Robinson's struggles in defending the pass may be an underlying issue for the entire positional group in 2023. During the podcast, Carter voiced his concerns regarding the Steelers' inside linebackers ability to cover receivers in space and detailed how this year's unit feels early similar to that of the 2018 group.
"This reminds me of the 2018 Steelers, when they brought in Jon Bostic. He was fine, he could stuff the run, but as soon as teams realized they should throw at him, it became the weak point of the defense. I'm not sure if it will be that big of a problem with the other talent on this defense, but it could be a weakness that exploits this group when otherwise they would be doing pretty well," said Carter.
Carter provides valid reasoning as to why the Steelers would be wise to add a cover linebacker to the roster as he team's defense has historically struggled with defending the middle of the field. Adding a player such Alexander or Jones would undoubtedly help this issue, but the likelihood of either one signing in Pittsburgh dwindles with each day that passes. While General Manager, Omar Khan should never be counted out in making a big time free agent move, it seems as if the "Khan Artist" may be done in adding major components to the defense.
As Batko and Carter point out in the podcast, it may be entirely possible that the Steelers already have a plan in place in terms of helping the off-ball linebacker defend in pass coverage. Perhaps the most simple one would be Keanu Neal serving as a "hybrid' player, playing both safety and linebacker. At 211 pounds, Neal possess the necessary size and prior experience to perform well in this role in 2023.
Brett Duke
Steelers' Keanu Neal May Be Asked To Play Multiple Positions In 2023
Final Thoughts
The Steelers level of play from from their off-ball linebackers will be the biggest question mark on the defensive side of the ball going into the 2023 season. In a perfect scenario, both Holcomb and Roberts remain healthy and play a majority of the snaps in 2023. However, there will inevitably be times this upcoming season where both will struggle, as 2023 will be their first year in Pittsburgh. With this in mind, it will be vitally important that Robinson makes a significant jump in production, as he will be next in line if something happens to either of the starters.
All things considered, there should be a cautious sense of optimism that the Steelers finally brought in the necessary pieces to solve the immensely complicated puzzle of inside linebacker. Be sure to keep an eye out on this positional group at training camp practice in Latrobe, Steeler Nation.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb participates in the team's 2023 organized team activities at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
What do Yinz make of the inside linebacker group? Do you think the Steelers should still consider signing a player such as Alexander or Jones? How confident are you in the starting duo of Holcomb and Roberts? Be sure to let us know in the comments!
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