How will the Steelers manage their OLB snap distribution after Nick Herbig’s contract extension?
After Nick Herbig’s contract extension, the Steelers are paying good money to three OLBs. How do they play them all? That’s the task at hand for the new coaching staff, particularly DC Patrick Graham. Obviously, a 3-OLB package will be a part of the mix, but it can’t solve the “problem” entirely.
Of course, one benefit of having three strong OLBs is that the Steelers can keep the pass rush fresh. Historically, some of the best defenses have had a healthy platoon of pass rushers, not just one or two elites. Take the 2007 Giants team that took down the undefeated Patriots. They had too many good pass rushers and needed to find ways to use them more.
The Steelers have the same dilemma with their current OLBs, and you could potentially even include Jack Sawyer into the mix. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are already proven commodities. To a large extent, Nick Herbig has already proven himself, too. If that didn’t go without saying, the $100 million contract he signed speaks pretty loudly in that direction.
But what will it actually look like when the Steelers take the field, and they roll out their OLBs? I imagine Watt and Highsmith will be out there for the first snap, but how often does Herbig rotate in? Will he play more against some opponents than against others based upon their personnel and tendencies? How often will he spell Highsmith, and how often will he spell Watt?
Watt said that nobody in the Steelers’ OLB room is selfish or cares who makes the plays. At the same time, none of them has the personality of being eager to check out of the game. They all want to be on the field as much as possible, so that will put the onus on the coaches to work them in and out.
The thing is, the Steelers have had this OLB group for the past three years, minus Jack Sawyer. Granted, they have often not all been healthy at the same time, which has been a major impediment. But it’s not like they’re suddenly better, so they have to figure out how to get more out of the talent they have.
The Steelers have a long road ahead of them under Mike McCarthy, along with his cadre of quarterbacks.With seven consecutive postseason losses and no wins in nearly a decade, they are under fire for their repeated playoff failures. While we have seen many changes, none could dream of topping Mike Tomlin’s resignation.
We’re already deep into the offseason, with free agency and the draft already reshaping rosters. The Steelers, of course, are used to early offseason mode as a team thatloses by the middle of January all the time. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
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