Stop saying the Steelers need to “replace” Ryan Shazier
As expected, there is a lot of buzz following the Steelers first preseason game of the season – good and bad. Part of the bad was the linebacker play.
The Steelers were dealt a huge blow when Ryan Shazier got his injury which led to him being out indefinitely. Finding linebacker help was a major offseason priority for the Steelers, and I already see people talking about is the Steelers failed in finding a replacement. In my opinion, though, this is a faulty mindset that will only lead to disappointment.
The Steelers can’t replace Ryan Shazier.
He was on the path to being one of the best linebackers in the NFL. His athleticism and instincts were unmatched on this roster, and there was no linebacker available in either the draft or free agency this year that could’ve replaced him.
The NFL is about adapting and changing, and rather than foolishly looking for a straight-up replacement for Shazier, the Steelers went and found various ways to compensate for his absence.
To bolster linebacker depth the Steelers signed Jon Bostic in free agency, who while isn’t an elite talent, is a solid starter who is a clear upgrade over all the team’s depth last year. He didn’t have a hot start versus the Eagles, but I’m not ready to jump on the “Steelers are screwed at linebacker” train quite yet. I’m still confident he’ll be better than Tyler Matakevich and *shudders* Sean Spence.
The Steelers also took a non-conventional approach to fill the gap when they drafted Terrell Edmunds. At 6’1″ 217 pounds, Edmunds has the size to be a hybrid player that can play both safety and linebacker. During the Eagles game, we saw him taking snaps at linebacker and he more than held his own. Thanks to his athleticism and versatility, Edmunds is developing into a chess piece that will be able to contribute all over the defense.
Swapping in personnel isn’t the only method that will be used, the Steelers have also been experimenting with different formations in training camp. Rather than playing primarily based 3-4 and nickel, the Steelers will likely begin to use dime coverage (six defensive backs) and quarter coverage (seven defensive backs).
The Steelers have better secondary depth than they’ve had in years, and their emphasis on improving their safety room was undoubtedly influenced by the new emphasis on these coverages. Morgan Burnett, Nat Berhe, and Terrell Edmunds were all brought in to enhance this group and each of these players is an upgrade over the 2017 roster.
So, there you have it, this is how the Steelers will attempt to fill the void left by Ryan Shazier. Know none of these solutions will be perfect or be able to replicate the impact Shazier had on the field, but the defense is in a much better place than it was immediately following the loss of Shazier. So please don’t go and say Shazier needs “replaced” because that is impossible.
