Tag Archives: Sean Spence

Steelers 2026 Draft Needs at Inside Linebacker: Khan’s Work Isn’t Done

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If there is any one position that the Steelers have tied themselves up in knots trying to fill over the last decade, it is inside linebacker.

And no wonder why.  Jack Lambert, Levon Kirkland, and James Farrior were centerpieces of Steelers Super Bowl defenses, while David Little and Ryan Shazier took their teams to Conference Championship games.

The Steelers have made a plethora of moves at inside linebacker since losing Shazier. Some have been fruitful, others have failed.

So the question going into the 2026 NFL Draft is, must the Steelers address inside linebacker again?

This is the next article in our Steelers 2026 Draft series.

Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson on the sidelines of the Steelers 2025 win over the Vikings in Dublin.

Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson in Dublin. Photo Credit: Ian Walton, AP, via the Post-Gazette.

The Steelers Inside Linebacker Depth Chart Entering the 2026 NFL Draft – The Starters

The Steelers made a splash in the spring of 2024 when they made Patrick Queen the 4th highest paid outside free agent in franchise history (kudos to Chris Adamski of the Tribune-Review for this salary cap-inflation adjusted figure. BTW Wayne Gandy was first – ouch!)

No matter how you measure it, the Steelers invested heavily in Patrick Queen and the returns have been mixed. While he hasn’t been a liability, he hasn’t dominated at the level expected and needed of someone with his salary cap number.

Queen is only 26 and would normally be a candidate for a contract extension this summer, but it would be surprising if Omar Khan targets him for one.

Playing alongside Patrick Queen is Payton Wilson.

Payton Wilson, Justice Hill, Payton Wilson interception, Steelers vs Ravens

Payton Wilson intercepts a Lamar Jackson pass. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

The Steelers drafted Peyton Wilson in the 3rd round of the 2024 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Wilson made his presence known fast, making Lamar Jackson pay when he tried to target him in the Steelers upset of the Ravens at Acrisure in 2024. He also recovered a strip-sack by Nick Herbig of Joe Burrow and took it to the house in the road win over Cincinnati.

Since then Wilson has worked himself into the defense increasing his snap count from 45% to 63%. Wilson’s second year was solid – he showed incredible heart and athleticism in running down Jordan Addison  during the Steelers win over the Vikings in Dublin and he authored an incredible game against the Colts, leading the team in tackles and securing his first interception, but his play leveled off after that.

The Steelers Inside Linebacker Depth Chart Entering the 2026 NFL Draft – The Backups

Leading the depth chart at inside linebacker behind the starters is Malik Harrison whom the Steelers signed from the Ravens last spring. Harrison played in 40% of the defensive snaps and overall was a solid contributor on defense.

Cole Holcomb, Davante Adams, Steelers vs Raiders

Cole Holocomb throttles Davante Adams. Photo Credit: AP via Tribune-Review

The Steelers opted to bring Cole Holcomb back. They signed Holcomb as a free agent in 2023, and Holcomb was beginning to make a name for himself when a brutal knee injury ended his season and ended up costing him the 2024 campaign as well.

Finally, the Steelers have Carson Bruener whom they drafted in the 7th round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Bruner, the son of former Steelers tight end and current scout made the final roster largely due to his special teams acumen.

If Pro Football Reference’s stats are to be trusted, Bruener only played 1 snap on defense, yet he played 64% of the special teams snaps where he was a demon, recording 17 tackles and winning 2nd team Pro Football Focus All Pro honors.

Steelers 2026 Draft Needs at Inside Linebacker

The Steelers have two solid starters at outside linebacker, two quality backups and a promising developmental prospect.

So they can ignore inside linebacker and focus on other needs, such as guard or tackle in the 2026 NFL draft right?

No, not so fast. The good news is that the Steelers roster at inside linebacker is relatively healthy. Unlike, say wide receiver, they don’t need to add a player with a premium pick in the draft. But they certainly can’t afford to ignore the position, and their experience in 2014 is instructive.

Going into the 2014 NFL Draft, Lawrence Timmons was still going strong, Vince Williams made great progress during his rookie year, Sean Spence was back and Terence Garvin was an interesting developmental prospect who was excelling on special teams.

Inside linebacker was the team’s deepest position and their lowest area of need entering the 2014 NFL Draft – Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert drafted Ryan Shaizer. How right were they? Well, three and a half years later, Shaizer’s injury closed the Roethlisberger Era’s Super Bowl window.

The Pittsburgh Steelers draft needs scale

Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy must take the same mindset at inside linebacker into this draft.

The Steelers don’t need to add an inside linebacker in this draft just as they don’t have anyone on their depth chart who screams “long term answer.” So they’d be wise to add a play maker if they can as their needs going into the 2026 NFL Draft at inside linebacker are Moderate.

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Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 Draft Needs @ Inside Linebacker – Low

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For seven long years, questions at inside linebacker have been a staple of Pittsburgh Steelers off seasons. The team has tried promoting in house, it has tried signing low level free agents, it has tried trades, it has tried big-ticket free agents, it has tried draft picks, and its tried trading up to draft players.

Yet, almost every spring, they’ve found themselves back at the drawing board.

As the 2025 NFL Draft approaches, it is fair to ask whether this time things are different.

Patrick Queen, Steelers vs Ravens, Isaiah Likely

Patrick Queen forces a fumble. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Steelers Inside Linebacker Depth Cart at: The Starters

At inside linebacker the Steelers are led by veteran Patrick Queen and “rising sophomore” Payton Wilson. The Steelers invested a lot of salary cap space to bring Queen to Pittsburgh, and while it took time for him to find his footing in the Steelers defense, he was clearly a defensive leader by season’s end.

As a rookie, Payton Wilson made his presence known when he picked off Lamar Jackon’s pass right before the half in the Steelers upset of the Ravens at Acrisure Stadium. Two weeks later at Paycor Stadium against the Bengals he recovered a fumble that Nick Herbig forced taking to the house.

  • Both were game-changing plays.

Wilson still must build on and improve on that rookie performance, but the early returns are promising.

Steelers Inside Linebacker Depth Chart: The Backups

When free agency started, the Steelers were expected to resign Elandon Roberts. Instead, they signed Malik Harrison away from the Baltimore Ravens. Harrison is a special teams ace, who like Roberts is known for being stout against the run – although his missed tackle percentage did jump in 2024.

After spending a year on injured reserve, Cole Holcomb has been cleared to return. In eight starts for the Steelers in 2023, Holocomb was well on the way to proving himself as an impact player, having forced 2 fumbles, batting away two passes and making 4 tackles for losses.

Finally, the Steelers will bring back Mark Robinson. Robinson was their 7th round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. While Robinson’s role in the defense has declined, as his snap count has dropped from 19% to 13% to a mere 1%, that dip is as much about the other players as it is Robinson.

Still, Robinson is a core special teamer, and certainly someone you want to bring to camp to compete for a roster spot.

The Steelers 2025 Draft Needs @ Inside Linebacker

The turmoil at inside linebacker described in the intro can of course be tied directly to the tragic loss of Ryan Shazier. The Steelers haven’t had anyone on the roster since then who can fill his shoes and probably do not have that player under contract now.Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Needs Scale

That’s not a knock on the current inside linebacker depth chart.

Before his injury, Shazier was trending towards performing the same level of franchise Hall of Fame legends such as Rod Woodson or Troy Polamalu (can you just imagine Shazier and T.J. Watt playing together in their primes?) Players like that do not grow on trees.

But the Steelers do have their deepest inside linebacking corps since they boasted Shaizer, Sean Spence and Vince Williams.

Sure, if another Shazier-like player falls in their laps, the Steelers should take him, but otherwise their draft needs at inside linebacker going into the 2025 NFL Draft must be considered Low.

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Does Cam Sutton’s Second Steelers Act Deserve an Encore?

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Once upon a time, the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t do second acts.

When Rod Woodson and Eric Green discovered that the grass isn’t necessarily greener on the other side of free agency’s fence, both asked to return. Tom Donahoe derisively dismissed them explaining, “We’re not the Salvation Army.” Jerry Olsavsky got a similar cold shoulder when he wanted to come home.

  • Kevin Colbert brought a new attitude.

And with it, players like Orpheus Roye, Sean Spence, Myron Bell, Ainsley Battles, Matt Spaeth, Willie Williams, Larry Foote, Antwaan Randle El and James Harrison all returned to Pittsburgh for second acts with the Steelers.

Last spring, Cam Sutton became the first former player that Omar Khan welcomed back. Should Sutton’s second act get an encore?

Cam Sutton, Mark Andrews, Steelers vs Ravens, Ben Roethlisberger final regular season game

Cam Sutton intercepts a pass to Mark Andrews. Photo Credit: Ravens.com

Profile of Cam Sutton’s Steelers Career

The Steelers drafted Cam Sutton in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. In a moment that’s ironically coincidental to his current situation, Sutton saw his first action on December 4th, 2017.

  • For deep dives on Sutton’s first act with the Steelers see his 2021 and 2023 free agent profile.

The Steelers expected to resign Sutton, but the Detroit Lions offered him a far bigger number than Omar Khan was willing to match, so Sutton spent 2023 in the Motor City. There Sutton revealed that he probably wasn’t worth a CB No. 1 salary, but it was a domestic violence arrest led the Lions to cut him.

The Steelers did their own due-diligence and resigned Sutton, expecting a suspension. Sutton indeed was suspended for the first 8 games of the 2024 season, returning for the win over Washington.

Sutton played in 43% of the snaps during the rest of the season, with his statistical peek coming on the road against the Bengals, where he made 4 tackles and batted away 2 passes. Sutton’s participation topped out at 69, 72 and 82 percent of the snaps in the win at Cincinnati, the Christmas day loss to the Chiefs and the 2024 regular season finale home loss to the Bengals.

The Case for Resigning Cam Sutton

Cam Sutton is just turning 30, he has 110 games and 58 starts under his belt. Sutton has position flexibility, being able to play on the outside or in the slot as corner and can also work at safety. He knows the Steelers defensive system and can be signed on a team-friendly deal, if not for the league minimum.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Cam Sutton

On paper, the idea of bringing Cam Sutton back should have worked out brilliantly for the Steelers defense. The Steelers were getting a starter-capable cornerback, who knew their defense that would suddenly become available in the middle of the season when everyone else in the secondary was nursing their bumps and bruises.

  • Sound fishy? Then check out Bud Dupree’s impact after coming off the PUP list in late 2016.

Alas, it didn’t work out that way with Sutton. He saw his playing time increase during the final four games of the regular season, when injuries cost the Steelers the services of Joey Porter Jr., DeShon Elliott, and Donte Jackson.

  • The defense struggled in their absence.

Cam Sutton certainly doesn’t deserve to be a scapegoat for the defense’s late season meltdown. But clearly he wasn’t part of the solution either. With the emergence of Beanie Bishop and Cory Trice the Steelers can and should move on from Cam Sutton.

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Cam Sutton

Sutton’s first game of a Steelers came at Cincinnati, the night Ryan Shazier suffered his spinal contusion. That injury led to Sean Spence’s thoroughly disappointing second act with the Steelers.

  • The parallel between Spence and Sutton only goes so far.

The Steelers needed Spence to replace a player who formed a critical cog in their defense and Spence simply wasn’t good enough. Sutton was supposed to reinforce a secondary that was being rebuilt, end-to-end and he really didn’t add a lot.

The Steelers are likely to add a corner in free agency and in the 2025 NFL Draft. So Cam Sutton’s best shot at extending his second act in Pittsburgh would likely be to agree to play for the veteran minimum.

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Steelers Must Keep Elandon Roberts, “Tooth Chipper,” in Pittsburgh

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Finding stability and inside linebacker has been something that’s eluded the Pittsburgh Steelers since they lost Ryan Shazier on December 4th 2017 on that fateful night in Cincinnati.

  • Although that was eons ago in NFL time, its ripple effects echo to this day.

One of the better moves the Steelers have made in the process has been to bring Elandon Roberts to Pittsburgh. But even if that’s true, has he done enough to remain part of the Steelers plans for 2025 and beyond? Let’s take a look.

Elandon Roberts, Terry McBride, Steelers vs Cardinals

No helmet, no problem, as Elandon Roberts tackles Terry McBride. Photo Credit: Matt Freed, AP via Newsday

Capsule Profile of Elandon Roberts’ Career with the Steelers

Elandon Roberts was one of two key free agency signings the team made in the spring of 2023 to bolster their inside linebacking corps, the other being Cole Holcomb. But Omar Khan hedged his bets by signing Kwon Alexander at the close of July.

  • The plan was to platoon the trio based on game situation.

The plan was working well, until Cole Holcomb suffered a season-ending injury against the Titans. Injuries felled Alexander a week later against Green Bay. That left Elandon Roberts to shoulder the load alongside a hodge podge of Mykal Walker, Mark Robinson and, at the end of the year, Myles Jack.

Roberts excelled making 101 tackles, two and a half sacks and bringing down 10 ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage.

Nonetheless, during the 2024 season the Steelers went all in on beefing up the middle of their defense, signing Patrick Queen to a record contract and drafting Payton Wilson in the third round. Roberts nonetheless started 15 games, although his snap count dropped from 54% in 2023 to 44% in 2024.

His production, however, dropped more, as he registered 46 tackles and only 5 tackles for losses with one sack. For what it is worth, Elandon Roberts led the Steelers in tackles in the playoff ridiculing inflicted by the Ravens.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Elandon Roberts

Elandon Roberts offers Exhibit A supporting the reality that statistics too often fail to capture a player’s value. As Mike Tomlin says, Roberts is a “Tooth Chipper.”

Elandon Roberts doesn’t just run to the ball – he craves contact with the ball carrier. There’s a reason why missed only 10 tackles in almost 1000 snaps with the Steelers. He’s got a knack for laying on the wood just when the game situation demands it. His forced fumble at the goal line against Dallas provides a perfect example.

Elandon Roberts, Jerome Ford, Steelers vs Browns

Elandon Roberts stops Jerome Ford on 4th and 1. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

As the Baltimore Ravens so brutally demonstrated in the playoffs, the Steelers need guys who can and will step up to stop the run. Elandon Roberts is one of those players and he belongs in Pittsburgh.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Elandon Roberts

Roberts was a clear asset for the Steelers in 2023, but the numbers don’t lie. His snap count dipped by 10%, yet his tackles and his tackles for losses dropped by close to half. There could be many reasons for this, but the Steelers ignore these numbers at their peril.

And if Elandon Roberts is such a stud against the run, then why, after getting 63% of the defensive snaps in the playoffs against the Ravens, did Derrick Henry run wild?

Moreover, he’ll be 31 next year. The Steelers defense is old enough. Time to fill his roster spot with new blood.

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Elandon Roberts

There are only starting two inside linebacker slots in the Steelers defense, but they unit has shined when they’ve had a troika of starter-capable players.

They won a Super Bowl with James Farrior, Larry Foote and Lawrence Timmons. They went to another with Farrior, Timmons and Foote. Ryan Shazier, Vince Williams and Sean Spence gave them championship-caliber play.

The Steelers appear to have found a good player in Payton Wilson and they’ve invested heavily in Patrick Queen.

  • Elandon Roberts fills out that troika nicely.

And while the Steelers will certainly need to pay Elandon Roberts more than the veteran minimum, it won’t break the bank to keep him in Pittsburgh. He’s one free agent Steelers can, should and likely will keep in in Pittsburgh for the next couple of three seasons.

 

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Looking Back @ Mike Tomlin Opening Day Blowout Losses & How Steelers Have Responded

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Last Sunday the San Francisco 49ers kicked the Pittsburgh Steelers “in the teeth,” to borrow Mike Tomlin’s words. Perhaps a Pittsburgh loss to San Francisco wasn’t unexpected, but no one foresaw the Steelers suffering such a spanking.

But if the Steelers got knocked down in the first round of a 17 round fight, what does that first round performance tell us about their prospects for the other 16 rounds? After all, the Steelers are a franchise that lends itself to trends thanks to their stability.

Take the uncanny nature of opening day results during the Cowher Era.

For Bill Cowher teams, and an opening day ass kicking was basically a good omen. In contrast, opening day wins preceded difficult seasons (with the exceptions of 1992, 2004 and 2005.)

  • The loss San Francisco brought Mike Tomlin’s opening day record to 10-6-1.

Here we look back at those other opening day blowout to see what, if anything, we can gain from them. (The 2015 loss to the Patriots is excluded, as it wasn’t a blowout.)

Talaona Hufanga, Connor Heyward, Steelers vs 49ers

Talanoa Hufanga intercepts Kenny Pickett while Connor Heyward can only watch. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

2011 – The Blowout at Baltimore

September 11th 2011 @ M&T Bank Stadium
Baltimore 35, Pittsburgh 7

The Steelers entered this game as defending AFC Champions and holding a 7-3 edge over the Baltimore Ravens to start the Tomlin era, including two playoff victories. Everyone expected the good times to continue, perhaps even members of the Steelers organization.

  • The Ravens kicked the Steelers asses.

The 35 to 7 score makes this one look closer than it was. Baltimore dominated Pittsburgh in every phase of the game, prompting Warren Sapp to declare that the Steelers defense was “Old, slow and done.”

The Steelers responded the next week with a shutout of the Seattle Seahawks. The 2011 team struggled a bit after that against the Texans, but a mid-season win over the Patriots seemed to confirm that they were still contenders.

But injuries ravaged the Steelers by the time they reached the playoffs, and the loss to Tim Tebow slammed the Super Bowl window shut.

2012 – Peyton Manning Outfoxes Polamalu

September 9th @ Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Denver 31, Pittsburgh 19

The Steelers began the rebuilding process in the 2012 off season, but they still took what they felt was a strong team to Denver where Peyton Manning made his debut.

Looking back at this game, it is easy to forget that the Steelers actually held a 19-14 lead in early in the 4th quarter.

However, Peyton Manning had been engaged in a chess match all night with Troy Polamalu, and by the 4th quarter he maneuvered the Steelers defense into checkmate, leading two scoring drives for ten points while a Tracy Porter interception of Ben Roethlisberger added on another six.

  • This game, in many ways signaled the wired dynamic that defined the 2012 season.

For all that was made of the tension between Ben Roethlisberger and Todd Haley, the offense did fairly well in the first half of the season while the defense struggled. The defense found its footing by midseason, thanks largely to James Harrison returning to health, only to see the offense falter due to injuries to Roethlisberger and overall dysfunction.

2013 – The Titans Bring Opening Day Armageddon

September 8th 2013 @ Heinz Field
Tennessee 16, Pittsburgh 9

By the spring of 2013 the Steelers were in full rebuilding mode. They were also doing it with stuck in salary cap purgatory. Going into the game Bob Labriola described the Steelers situation at offensive line as walking a tight rope without a net (hold on to that one.)

Injuries had already taken their toll on their opening day roster as they started their number 3 and number 4 tight ends, their number 2 running back, Isaac Redman (who was already playing with a career-ending injury) and with their top backup at inside linebacker (Sean Spence) on IR.

Things got worse. Fast. Maurkice Pouncey was lost for the season after about a half dozen plays. Inside linebacker Larry Foote would be lost for the season before too long. So would 3rd down back LaRod Stephens-Howling whose Steelers career would consist of 6 carries. Oh, and the Steelers also lost starting corner Cortez Allen during the game.

  • Despite the injuries, the Steelers were in it until the end.

But things got worse before they got better. The Steelers would lose their next 3 in route to a 2-6 start to the season. Nonetheless, they clawed their way back to respectability and an 8-8 finish and only missed the playoffs due to a blown call in another game.

2019 – Brady, Patriots Pulverize Steelers One Last Time

September 8th, 2019 @ Gillette Stadium
New England 33, Pittsburgh 3

In hindsight, we should have seen this coming. But we didn’t.

The Steelers defense had improved in 2018 enough make Tom Brady look mortal in an upset at Heinz Field. While this was the first game of the post “Killer Bees” era for the offense, but the unit had looked sharp in route to a 3-1 preseason record.

Gunner Olszewski, Steelers vs Patriots, Steelers vs Patriots 2019, Gunner Olszewski first game

Gunner Olszewski’s first games was against the Steelers in 2019. Photo Credit: David Butler II, USA Today, via Bemidji Pioneer

Regular season reality set in fast. Tom Brady led the Patriots to 20 unanswered first half points. The offense’s best play was a 2 yard dink from Ben Roethlisberger to Ryan Switzer. The lasting memory on defense is of substitute safety Kameron Kelly who seemingly forgot not only that he was supposed to try to stop the receiver from catching the ball, but also that he was supposed to chase and tackle him afterwards.

The Steelers followed this with losses to Seattle, where Ben Roethlisberger was lost for the season, and San Francisco, where Mason Rudolph made his first start. Mike Tomlin coaxed a 1989-Steelersque like turn around that put Pittsburgh in contention for the playoffs.

But the rally fizzled down the stretch as the Steelers ended with three straight losses.

Take Aways from Tomlin’s Season-Opening Blowouts

The good news? In each case, Mike Tomlin’s teams improved following their season-opening blowouts.

  • The bad news? Only one of those teams made the playoffs.

And, with exception of the 2011 team, none of the teams authored dramatic, rebound wins. Instead, improvement came gradually, or in the case of the 2012 Steelers, unevenly. And the injuries suffered in those openers formed and important part of the backstories of each of those seasons.

Does that tell us something going into the Browns game at Acrisure Stadium on Monday Night Football?

Maybe. But as Mike Tomlin would retort, the 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers are writing their own story.

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Steelers Trade of Kendrick Green Highlights the Danger and Unavoidability of Drafting for Need

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The Steelers decision to ship Kendrick Green off to the Houston Texans for a 6th round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft is a pure admission of failure on the part of the front office.

  • Third round picks are supposed to grow into starters.
Kendrick Green, Kendrick Green Fullback

Steelers guard/center takes reps at fullback. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Kendrick Green’s trajectory with the Steelers went in the opposite direction. He started immediately, got benched late in his first year, stood in street clothes his second year, and was dealt at fire sale prices in his third year.

  • NFL teams don’t give up on third round picks so easily. The Steelers offer no exception.

The Steelers gave the boot to just one year Bruce Davis after drafting him third in the 2008 NFL Draft. Two Septembers, they also cut rookie Kraig Urbik, but that move was a miscalculation on their part, forced by the need to carry Charlie Batch on the 2010 roster.

As the stories of Curtis Brown, Sean Spence and Senquez Golson reveal, the Steelers normally bend over backwards to give a third round second, third and fourth chances to make the team.

And in a sense, the Steelers did that with Green. They moved him to guard in 2022, sort of giving him a Redshirt year as he was inactive for all 17 games. In 2023 they gave him work at both center and guard and even repped him at fullback.

Mike Tomlin singled him out after the Bills game, making no bones about the fact that his errant snaps to Mason Rudolph were unacceptable. Green saw action at both center and guard in the win over the Falcons, and in this observer’s opinion he did pretty well.

  • Pat Meyer, Matt Canada and Mike Tomlin reached a different conclusion.

Thus ends the Kendrick Green experiment, after over a little over two years and 15 games. For a franchise that boasts a lineage at center that begins in the ‘60s with Ray Mansfield, dominates the 70’s with Mike Webster, continues into throughout the 1990’s with Dermontti Dawson and extends into the 21st century with Jeff Hartings and Maurkice Pouncey, Kendrick Green represents a tremendous disappointment.

But if Kendrick Green’s footnote in the Definitive History of the Pittsburgh Steelers will be short, his story leaves a lasting lesson:

  • Drafting for need is dangerous. But sometimes its unavoidable.

Maurkice Pouncey’s retirement hit the Steelers at the worst possible time. Neither the coaches nor the front office were expecting it, particularly since Ben Roethlisberger returned for one more go.

Not only did the Steelers need to find a center, COVID-19 had plunged Pittsburgh into salary cap hell, cutting off free agency as a means to signing a new center. That left the draft. The Steelers tried to stick to their board picking Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth in the 1st and 2nd rounds (cue the arguments that the Steelers should have taken Creed Humphrey before Najee Harris) but their hand was essentially forced by the third round, when they took Green.

You can argue that they were in the same position in the 4th round, and were essentially forced to pick Dan Moore. More, like Green struggled on, but he starts his third year by keeping 2023’s first round pick Broderick Jones on the bench.

So sometimes you can get away with drafting for need. But as The Wire’s Omar Little reminded us, “You come at the king, you best not miss.” Yep, the Steelers missed on Kendrick Green.

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Grading Omar Khan’s First Year as Steelers General Manager – A Khan Artist? Or Just a Risk Taker?

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Omar Khan’s first year as Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager has drawn praise from through out Steelers Nation. He’s been called a “Khan” artist. Some of the Black and Gold Faithful are already fitting him for a Gold Hall of Fame Blazer.

Khan addressed the media at St. Vincents, in Latrobe as Mike Tomlin and his staff began their first practices with the team.

With that in mind, it’s time to take an objective look at Khan’s first year on the job and ask, is Omar really a “Khan Artist?”

Omar Khan, Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan

Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan, Photo Credit: Nola.com

A Subtle, but Important Shift on Contract Extension Timing

The under Tom Donahoe and Dan Rooney, Steelers were pioneers in targeting key players for contract extensions before they hit the free agent market. Kevin Colbert continued Donahoe’s policy.

  • However, Colbert was a bit more cautious, particularly in the Tomlin era.
Troy Polamalu, Troy Polamalu Interception Ravens, Troy Polamalu Interception AFC Championship Game, Troy Polamalu pick six AFC Championship

Troy Polamalu’s pick six vs Ravens the 2008 AFC Championship Game. Photo Credit: Post-Gazette.com

Colbert typically waited to finalized contract negotiations shortly before the regular season began. James Farrior, Troy Polamalu, Stephon Tuitt and Cam Heyward were all players who inked deals at the tail end of summer.
While this injected some “will so-and-so get his deal” uncertainty into the summer, it did allowed the Steelers to hedge against injury.

  • Omar Khan hasn’t hedged when it comes to contracts.

Last year the Steelers signed Minkah Fitzpatrick, Chris Boswell and Diontae Johnson to extensions early or before training camp. This year they got Alex Highsmith’s name on a long-term contract.

Injuries can and do happen during training camp and preseason (think Senquez Golson and/or Sean Spence) so Khan’s approach does carry a bit of extra risk. But it also provide certainty and helps ensure roster continuity.

Taking the Steelers Out of Their Comfort Zone on Free Agents

The Steelers were aggressive players in free agency during the spring of 2023, but that continued a trend Kevin Colbert started during the spring of 2022. And that new found aggressiveness is probably due to the fact that the team both doesn’t have a franchise quarterback’s contract to carry and didn’t have a lot of veterans to resign.

  • But under Khan, the Steelers did slide a bit out of their free agent comfort zone.

Entering the off season, resigning Cam Sutton seemed like almost a no brainer. Sutton wanted to stay, the Steelers said they wanted up. Yet, they were never able to get a deal done. The happened a few times under Kevin Colbert.

  • What makes Khan unique is the way he reacted.

The Steelers replaced Cam Sutton by signing Patrick Peterson, who will be 33 this year. Giving a major free agent contract to such an old player was almost unheard of under Kevin Colbert.

Khan also moved out of his comfort zone when it came to injuries, making major signings with Cole Holcomb and Keanu Neal who were either coming off of injuries or had significant injury history.

Khanning Others with Trades?

What’s really earned Khan his title of “Kahn Artist” is his work with trades.

First he traded Chase Claypool for the 32nd pick in the 2023 NFL draft and then watch from afar as Claypool make 14 catches for 140 yards over the last 7 games of the season. Today, trading Chase Claypool for Joey Porter Jr. looks like a very, lopsided deal.

Next he swapped 7th round picks to bring veteran receiver Allen Robinson to Pittsburgh from the Los Angeles Rams – with LA agreeing to pay 10 million of the 15 million he’s owed during the final year of his contract.

He also traded up to get Brodrick Jones in the 2023 NFL Draft, and then swapped 3rd round picks with the Panthers and got Carolina’s 4th round pick, getting them back into that critical depth round.

Even if we accept the obvious caveat that every trade carries risk, Khan has shown incredible negotiating savvy with these moves.

  • But credit for Khan’s savvy here doesn’t come as the result of comparisons to Colbert.

Kevin Colbert’s first major trade brought Troy Polamalu to Pittsburgh. His next major trade bagged Santinio Holmes, who was MVP of Super Bowl XLIII. He also suckered a 3rd round pick out of the then Oakland Raiders for Martavis Bryant (after declaring that he wasn’t available for trade). And Colbert committed highway robbery by getting a 3rd and a 5th for Antonio Brown.

Conclusion? Not a “Khan Artist” but Rather a Risk Taker

In his first year as Steelers General Manger, Omar Khan has shown himself as someone who can both live by the “Steelers Way” while acting as his own man.

And in that respect, he shown himself to be more of a risk taker, than a “Khan Artist.”

During these next three weeks on the fields at St. Vincents we’ll start see if those risks pay off.

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Vince Williams was “The Next Olsavsky” I’d Been Waiting For. But Only Now Do I Realize It.

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The Steelers have done some soul searching at inside linebacker this summer, culminating in the Joe Schobert trade. That move leads me to reflect on a bit of my own soul searching.

My discovery? Sometimes the player you’ve been longing for is staring you right in front of the face, and you only realize it after he is gone. And such is the case with Vince Williams.

Since the late 1990s this Steelers scribe has been clutching his Rosary Beads and crossing his fingers waiting for the Steelers to find “The next Jerry Olsavsky.” Vince Williams was exactly that player but it took his being cut, resigned and retirement for me to realize it.

Vince Williams, Andy Dalton, Steelers vs Bengals

Vince Williams sacks Andy Dalton in December 2017. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

This should have been clear far earlier, from December 15th, 2013 at the 11:56 mark in the first quarter to be precise.

If that point in Steelers space time is a bit foggy for you, here’s a refresher:

After starting the 2013 season 2-6, the Pittsburgh Steelers clawed their way back to 5-6, only to lose a heart breaker to the Ravens on Thanksgiving. Then the Miami Dolphins came to Pittsburgh, and spanked the Steelers in the snow. Up next was the Cincinnati Bengals, who were coming to Heinz Field with a 9-5 record as division leaders with a shot at a first round bye.

The Steelers won the toss. A couple of plays by Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown earned a first down, but after that it was time to punt.

Vince Williams, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Steelers vs Bengals

Vince Williams stuffs BenJarvus Green-Ellis for no gain. Photo Credit: Justin K. Aller, Getty Images

  • After two plays the Bengals were looking at their own 3rd and 1, standing at their own 16 yard line.

At the snap BenJarvus Green-Ellis got the ball and charged forward. He barely made it to the line of scrimmage thanks to the efforts of a rookie linebacker who’d been in street clothes on opening day.

On 3rd and 1, Vince Williams had stoned him, forcing a punt with Kevin Huber bobbled, setting up an easy Steelers score and a subsequent ass kicking of the Bengals.

At that moment it should have dawned on me that Vince Williams was the player I’d been waiting for.

But it didn’t.

Why the “Next Jerry O?”

Steelers outside linebacker capture our imaginations. They sack opposing quarterbacks, force fumbles and make the “Splash” plays that turn games. They become our heroes.

  • Inside linebackers aren’t so lucky. Oh, we appreciate them to be sure.

Sometimes they dazzle us, such as Ryan Shazier did. But when it comes to inspiring, inside linebackers just don’t make magic on the same level of magic as their outside brethren (Jack Lambert a true middle linebacker doesn’t count.)

So inside linebackers are underdogs. I’m a sucker for an underdog.

  • And there’s perhaps no bigger underdog than Jerry Olsavsky.
Jerry Olsavsky, Steelers vs Patriots,

Steelers linebacker Jerry Olsavsky in the 1989 Steelers December win over the Patriots. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

The Steelers of course drafted Jerry Olsavsky in the 10th round of the 1989 NFL Draft. In other words, he wouldn’t have been drafted today. Yet he not only made the 1989 regular season roster, he found himself starting in week 9 when Hardy Nickerson went down and earned a spot UPI’s all rookie team.

He did all of this, despite being, as Al Michaels described him on Monday Night Football, “One of those players who isn’t big enough, fast enough or tall enough, but just good enough.” In his first year as a full-time starter, 1993, Olsavsky blew up his knee in Cleveland Stadium and had to have multiple ligaments replaced.

Yet, he was back in a Steelers uniform a year later and two years later played a critical role in the Steelers run to Super Bowl XXX.

Jerry O. left the Steelers after the 1997 season, played a year in Baltimore and thus began my desire for “The next Jerry O.” For a while it seemed like John Fiala might have fit that bill. But when Kendrell Bell got injured to start the 2002 season, it was Larry Foote and not Fiala that Bill Cowher put in.

  • Other candidates have cropped up from time to time, including Tyler Matakevich.

But by the time the Steelers drafted Matakevich in the 2016 draft the Steelers already had Vince Williams for 3 years.

Vince Williams, Hard Hitting Underdog

No one handed Vince Williams anything. He looked good in preseason, but with Larry Foote went down in the Steelers 2013 season opener, it was Kion Wilson who went in as Williams wasn’t even dressed.

Vince Williams was starting within 2 weeks, the Steelers London loss to the Vikings, but he struggled as a rookie. And the Steelers defense struggled with him. But he got better. So did the Steelers defense. And by the end of the season, he was pretty good.

  • That tenacity would serve Vince Williams well.

Despite finishing his rookie year with the arrow pointed up, Vince Williams found himself starting his sophomore year behind Lawrence Timmons, Ryan Shazier and Sean Spence. Although he would only officially start 6 games in the next 3 seasons, Vince Williams was a fixture in the Steelers defense.

  • Whenever Vince Williams was on the field, you could count on him to come to the ball.

From 2015 through 2020, Vince Williams logged 44 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, 43 QB hits and register 20 sacks. Whatever Williams may have lacked in athleticism, he made up for with willpower and want to.

By the peak of his career, Vince Williams was the perfect complement to a pair along side a super athletic inside linebacker such as Ryan Shazier or Devin Bush.

Facing salary cap Armageddon, the Steelers cut Vince Williams earlier this spring. Rather than play for another team, Williams agreed to return for a veteran minimum salary. Yet, just before training camp, he had a change of heart and retired.

That’s unfortunate.

Pass coverage was never Vince Williams’ forte, so it’s entirely possible that had Williams continued to play, the Steelers will would have had to trade for Joe Schobert. But make no mistake about it, the Pittsburgh Steelers will miss Vince Williams in the locker room, inside the huddle and perhaps most of all, at the line of scrimmage.

Thank you Vince Williams on behalf of Steelers Nation. May you find our Life’s Work well.

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Steelers 2020 Inside Linebacker Draft Needs: Ignoring the Position = Ignoring History

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Outside linebackers may have compiled sexier highlight reels, but the inside linebackers have formed the heart of the Steelers defense since Chuck Noll made the switch to a 3-4 in 1982.

Think about it. Each generation’s linebacking corps is remember for its Greg Lloyd, Joey Porter, James Harrison and/or T.J. Watt. But those guys can only do their damage on the edge because players like Jack Lambert, David Little, Levon Kirkland and James Farrior have the center taken care of.

Ryan Shazier’s injury left the Steelers reeling at inside linebacker. Pittsburgh appeared to turn a corner in 2019, but does that mean they can ignore the position in the 2020 NFL Draft?

Devin Bush, Devin Bush touchdown, Steelers vs Chargers

Devin Bush dives for a touchdown. Photo Credit: Karl Rosner, Steelers.com

Steelers Inside Linebacker Depth Chart Entering the 2020 NFL Draft: The Starters

In 2020 the Steelers will start a potent duo at inside linebacker, led by 2019’s first round draft pick Devin Bush, and Vince Williams who has manned the other starting linebacker position since his rookie campaign in the 2013 season.

  • At age 31, Vince Williams has never been and will never be a superstar.

But he very much is the type of player who helps teams win Super Bowls. No, that’s not a misprint. Mel Blount was far more important to the Steelers 1978 Super Bowl team, but it matters little of Ron Johnson had been a liability at the other cornerback position.

And Vince Williams has never been a liability, and when paired alongside a truly athletic inside linebacker, Vince Williams is very much an asset. He craves contact, is stout against the run and can pressure the passer when needed.

He’s the perfect foil to Devin Bush, who exploded early in his rookie season for 3 fumble recoveries, one sack, and a touchdown. As the season wore on, Devin Bush was eclipsed by Minkah Fitzpatrick, but all indications point to him being worth the hefty price Pittsburgh paid to make him a Steeler.

Steelers Inside Linebacker Depth Chart Entering the 2020 NFL Draft: The Back Ups

Mark Barron was an important part of the reason why the Steelers turned a corner at inside linebacker last year, and he is no longer on the roster. In fact, he was on the field for 69% of the Steelers defensive snaps as compared to Vince Williams’ 37%.

  • Alas, Mark Barron was a cap casualty, collateral damage wrought by the need to apply the franchise tag to Bud Dupree.

His departure was not unexpected, but perhaps Tyler Matakevich’s was, and together they’ve left the cupboard pretty bare at inside linebacker for the Steelers. The Steelers do have Ulysees Gilbert, whom they drafted in the 2019 NFL Draft, and Robert Spillane who was on their active roster for the 2nd half of 2019.

The Steelers 2020 Inside Linebacker Draft Needs

During the Tomlin era, inside linebacker really has been a boom-bust position for the Steelers. There’s been very little middle ground. When things go according to plan, the Steelers have been solid at inside linebacker.steelers, draft, needs, priority, 2018 NFL Draft

  • But of course, one needs to expect the unexpected in the NFL.

And that’s when inside linebacker has been a problem for Pittsburgh. Injuries limited Larry Foote’s 2013 season to a handful of snaps. He was first replaced by Kion Wilson whose NFL career would last for another six games.

Within a few game, Vince Williams had already replaced him, but the rookie Williams faced a steep learning curve at the expense of the Steelers defense. Something similar happened in 2017 when Ryan Shazier’s spinal injury ended his NFL career.

  • His back up, Tyler Matakevich, only lasted a few snaps, forcing Arthur Moats into the mix.

The Steelers signed Sean Spence after the mix, and it didn’t take long to see why Spence had been waiting for the phone to ring at home in December.

The point to this brief history lesson is that, while the Steelers have a strong starting duo at inside linebacker, depth is decidedly thin, meaning that the Steelers needs at inside linebacker going into the 2020 NFL Draft must be considered Moderate-High.

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Tomorrow, Steelers Rookie Devin Bush Steps into a Intense Spotlight

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Steelers’ rookie first-round pick Devin Bush was the star of a training camp highlight over the weekend, when he got the best of fellow rookie Benny Snell Jr. in a backs on backers drill.

If you watch the video linked to the first paragraph, you’ll see that Devin Bush took Benny Snell, a fourth-round pick who earned a reputation at Kentucky as a hard-nosed running back who liked to run downhill, and drove him about five yards backwards before depositing him on his, well, backside.

  • Naturally, Devin Bush drew praise and cheers from the many onlookers at the team’s annual Friday Night Lights practice at Latrobe Memorial Stadium.

As a long-time observer of the team, I saw what Devin Bush did and the first thing I thought was that he needed to win just about every backs on backers battle he could against a rookie running back.

Devin Bush,

Steelers rookie Devin Bush on the fields of St. Vincents. Photo Credit: AP, via Yahoo! Sports

Sure, Devin Bush, an inside linebacker from Michigan, is a rookie in his own right, and he’s out there learning just like every other player at his first NFL training camp. But it’s a little different for Devin Bush.

He’s not just a rookie first-round draft choice. He’s a rookie first-round draft choice that general manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin deemed valuable enough to trade up 10 spots to select–and part with a first-round pick (2019), second-round pick (2019) and third-round pick (2020) in the process.

That’s a huge departure for a Steelers front office whose draft day philosophy is usually to stand pat and let the chips fall where they may. But the Steelers couldn’t wait and hope that Bush fell to them (that would have been a minor miracle, anyway), not this year, not with what he could possibly mean to their defense.

  • In that context, my thought process regarding Devin Bush’s dominance of Snell Jr. wasn’t really surprising. And that’s because my expectations for him are high.

And that brings me to what Bush is just days away from facing: a stadium full of Steelers fans who will have the same expectations of Bush that I do when Pittsburgh takes on the Buccaneers this Friday night at Heinz Field in the first preseason game of 2019.

Sure, it’s only an exhibition, and for most of the veterans, it will be a glorified practice and a way to get some more work in (that is, if they even play at all). As for the other rookies and younger players–many of whom are already on the brink of having to get on with their life’s work–yes, the pressure will be on. It will be do or die, perhaps the one and only time they’ll be able to leave a strong and lasting impression on their bosses.

  • Devin Bush is facing no such pressure. His spot on the roster is a lock, not only for this season but the next few.

However, this does not mean Devin Bush won’t be feeling the pressure to perform and to perform well, staring this Friday. You see, about 120,000 eyes will be trained on his every move for every second that he’s in the game. Why?

  • Devin Bush is seen by many as a minor savior for the Steelers.

If he is truly the real deal–if his speed, explosiveness, athleticism, play-making ability, leadership and high football IQ can make a seamless transition from the college ranks to the professional level–Pittsburgh’s defense may have its replacement for Ryan Shazier, who was lost near the end of the 2017 campaign with a spinal injury that he’s still not fully recovered from.

Ryan Shazier was everything to the Steelers defense, which is why the team drafted in him out of Ohio State in 2014. Shazier battled the injury bug over the course of his four-years as the center of the Steelers defense, but when he was healthy, there was no question he was central to its every move.

You saw that in the very wild wildcard victory over the Bengals following the 2015 season, when Shazier spent the entire game wreaking havoc on the Bengals offense before rescuing the Steelers season in the final seconds with a forced fumble just one play after backup quarterback Landry Jones nearly threw it all away with an interception.

Shazier was the guy who did all the heavy lifting for Keith Butler’s unit. The entire defensive game-plan was schemed around him and his ability to pursue, to make things happen just about anywhere on the field.

  • After Ryan Shazier was lost in the final month of the 2017 season, Pittsburgh’s defense was never quite the same and had no real replacement at inside linebacker.

But how could anyone come off the bench and replace a talent like Ryan Shazier? And if there wasn’t anyone on the bench, there surely wasn’t anyone on the street who could, even though the Steelers tried by signing Sean Spence right before the playoffs.

It was to no avail, as Spence, a third-round pick in 2012 who spent his first incarnation as a Steeler trying to rehab from a devastating knee injury, wasn’t anything close to what the Shazier-lacking defense needed him to be.

The Steelers defense, a unit that’s spent the better part of this decade trying to recapture the magic from the previous decade, had its moments in 2018. But it didn’t have that explosive play-maker in the middle to bring everything together.

  • Jon Bostic was a nice veteran signing, but that’s all he was. He certainly didn’t have the ability to be a difference-maker in the middle of the defense.

As for Vince Williams, a sixth-round pick in 2013, despite being a self-made man who has gotten every single ounce that he can out of his abilities, he wasn’t the same without Shazier by his side.

The Steelers’ had a lot of young and promising talent on defense as they entered the 2019 offseason, but they didn’t have someone who could bring it all together.

Now, maybe they do.

We’ll soon begin to find out, starting this Friday night. Yes, it might only be preseason, but not since Ben Roethlisberger started his first regular season game for an injured Tommy Maddox back in 2004 have expectations for a Steelers rookie been this high.

The world won’t be watching as Devin Bush makes his debut this Friday, just Steeler Nation, but how he performs could make a world of difference for the team’s immediate future.

 

 

 

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