The Pittsburgh Steelers are most of the way through the first part of the offseasonleading up to the draft. Before we get there, we’re going totake stock of how the roster has evolved over the past several weeks. Position by position, we’ll break down who’s coming and going and what’s next for those rookies and those already here.
Position: Inside Linebacker
Total Positional Figure: 5
Offseason Additions: 0
Offseason Deletions: 0
Players Retained:
Patrick Queen: The Steelers retain the exact same group of inside linebackers as last season, with Patrick Queen at the helm. While some speculation persisted about the team entertaining trading him, there is no movement there. And at this point, it doesn’t appear there will be. Going into the final year of his contract, however, Queen still has to prove he is a long-term option.
Payton Wilson: Payton Wilson himself expected to be the Steelers’ next every-down inside linebacker. He talked a big game last offseason going into Year 2, but the coaches had to curb his snaps. Is he ready, now in Year 3, to step up and play every snap? With Queen there, he wouldn’t anyway if the Steelers play some dime defense. But replacing him with a bigger body for run downs is surely something he wants to avoid.
Cole Holcomb: The Steelers once brought in Cole Holcomb to be their green-dot inside linebacker. A devastating knee injury halfway into his first season changed his and their plans. But two years removed from that injury, he is starting anew. Holcomb returned to the field last season, but can he take another step closer to normalcy this year?
Malik Harrison: Last season’s move in free agency to bring in Malik Harrison as another inside linebacker drew many questions from Steelers fans. A year on, nothing much has changed. Many thought he would be a prime cut candidate. Depending on how the draft goes, Harrison could still be on the other side of it.
Carson Bruener: A seventh-round pick last April, Carson Bruener became a mainstay of the Steelers’ special teams units as the fifth inside linebacker. In 287 snaps, he produced an eye-popping 19 tackles, which is a truly impressive total. And he added another pair of tackles in their one postseason game.
Players Added: N/A
Players Deleted: N/A
Notes And Draft Outlook:
The Steelers should not overlook the opportunity to draft a premium inside linebacker should the opportunity present itself. Two years on, neither Patrick Queen nor Payton Wilson have developed into the hoped-for rock stars in the middle. While both are competent, neither is exceptional. Perhaps most problematic, they share similar shortcomings, making their pairing even more troubling.
The Steelers have been trying to replace Ryan Shazier since the former first-round inside linebacker suffered a career-ending injury. While they may have found their best pairing since then, it still falls short of their desires. Currently, their plan seems to be bolstering their defensive line. The hope is it allows their inside linebackers to play free. But when they can’t, the Steelers’ inside linebackers don’t make plays.
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