The Steelers view Jalen Ramsey as a focal point of their defense, but the question is where, precisely, he’ll play. If there is a precise location. To hear HC Mike McCarthy talk about it, though, there might not be, and that is no great surprise. One of the primary themes of his recent meeting with reporters was position flexibility. Asked how the signing of Jaquan Brisker and his versatility affects Ramsey, he made one thing clear.
“Yeah, we’re staying right down the same path. We’re talking about player flexibility. It’s really the first conversation I had with Jalen”, McCarthy said of Ramsey, via the Steelers’ website. “Looking at our defense, particularly from the offensive perspective, whether you’re a pass rusher or a dynamic secondary player, if you can line up at safety, nickel, dime, and jump out the corner in a matchup situation, there’s tremendous value in that”.
Position flexibility was the first conversation Jalen Ramsey had with the Steelers before Mike McCarthy was here, too. Last summer, he said that it was “a big thing” for him to come somewhere to play in a diverse role. “Football-wise, that was one of the first questions I asked”, he recalled. “’How do you envision me fitting in with this defense?’”.
Last season, Jalen Ramsey played all over the place for the Steelers, particularly early on. In the second half of the season, he settled into a heavily free-safety role, due to necessity. But he still played 359 snaps in the slot, via Pro Football Focus, and 160 at wide corner. He logged another 203 in the box.
This year, the Steelers are unlikely to play Ramsey outside much under McCarthy, continuing lasty year’s evolution. After Week 10, he only played more than three snaps out wide in a game once. But the question is, will he play primarily in the slot or at safety? That could depend upon who their fifth-best defensive back is.
Most people right now would presumably say Jaquan Brisker, the player Mike McCarthy was asked about when discussing how the Steelers’ new signing would affect Jalen Ramsey. Brisker is a safety who can play free and strong, and they also have DeShon Elliott at safety. If Brisker is their nickel defender, then it would make sense for Ramsey to move into the slot in sub-packages.
That is primarily what Ramsey was already doing last year at the start of the season for the Steelers, though not without variation. In Week 2, for example, he mostly played outside. In Weeks 7 and 8, his snaps inside and outside were pretty balanced. But he hardly played outside after that, particularly once he moved to safety.
For Mike McCarthy, it’s not just about Jalen Ramsey or any one group on the Steelers being position flexible. With the duration of the season and the attrition that comes with it, he wants that skill up and down the roster. And it’s a key trait he is scouting in this year’s draft class, to boot. While that’s nothing new, having one of your most important defenders in that conversation is meaningful.
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