One of the bigger stories coming out of the Steelers 2016 Training Camp was the team’s reluctance to commit to a rotation at the outside linebacker positions, heading into the regular season. Jarvis Jones and Bud Dupree, both former first round draft picks, were expected to play the majority of snaps this season, according to Steelers Defensive Coordinator Keith Butler, and Linebackers Coach Joey Porter.

Butler was quote a little over a month ago as saying:

“We want guys in there who are going to best help us, and if they’re in good enough shape, and they don’t drop off then we’ll leave them in there…

If they’re tiring out, then we need to have them out of there… We prefer to do that … and we prefer with Bud and Jarvis.

We don’t want to keep anyone from playing. What we’re trying to do is win ballgames and put the best guys on the field we can.”

Porter also expressed a similar sentiment when asked about rotating the backers:

“I don’t think the rotation will be what it was… If (Jones and Dupree) are going to play like we think they can, I’m going to play the hot hand.”

Porter affirmed his position by later stating:

“Those two (Jones and Dupree) are the future. The rotation came from the fact we have to get some production some way. If those guys get hot, those guys are our starters. You can’t justify taking anybody off the field if they’re hot. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

Much was made of those comments, including Porter’s prediction that Dupree would lead the team with a double-digit sack total this season.

However, after Dupree was placed on Injured Reserve, it appears those plans were scrapped in favor of the best-laid plans Pittsburgh used in 2015. The rotation at OLB last season consisted of Jones and Dupree, mixed with Arthur Moats and the now 38-year-old James Harrison. Typically, Jones and Moats would play one “line” (using a hockey term) and Harrison and Dupree would be on the next one.

A rotation was an unusual change of pace (pun intended) for a Steelers defense to begin with, so the news of Jones and Dupree dominating the snap counts wasn’t unexpected. Harrison never came off the field in his younger years, nor did his counterpart for several of those seasons, LaMarr Woodley. Ditto for famous pairings such as Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd.

However, the Steelers needed a mix of youth and experience in 2015: James Harrison, the elder statesman of the team, refuses to let Father Time dictate his play on the field. The coaches continue giving the media lip service in regard to limiting Harrison’s participation on the field, but thus far, that’s all it has been. Defying the odds at age 37 last season, Harrison played more snaps (611) than any other outside linebacker on the team.

The defensive coaches, along with Head Coach Mike Tomlin, constantly defer as to whether they monitor the snap totals, referring to “the hot hand” in most instances. Even with Jarvis Jones starting all 16 regular season games, and both postseason contests, Harrison is the player who continued to see more playing time.

Perhaps that’s rightfully so: “Deebo” led all of the outside linebackers in sacks last season as well, though the numbers are skewed by a single game in which Harrison had 3 against the Colts.

Obviously Harrison has to be handled with kid gloves, as the team is in dire need of his production with Dupree’s season in question. The coaches will try to keep him fresh, but once again, the “hot hand” comes into play.

Even heading into the Redskins game last Monday Night, Coach Butler was quoted as follows, in regard to the rotation at OLB:

“We’re going to try to keep them fresh as much as we can. If that means rotating them, yes, we’ll probably rotate them.”

Adding that Jarvis Jones won’t see the lion’s share of playing time that was alluded to in his own preseason statements:

“It’s always this time of year, I don’t think you can take pass rushers and play them the whole game. And so, they’re going to rotate regardless.

Do we want to play him a certain amount of time? Sure we do. But, they’re in the first game. Nobody is in game condition. They’re not going to be in game condition. We’re not going to be in game condition.

The only way to get into game condition is to play, so had we been in the season for three or four week, then we would try to stay with him.”

Which all but confirms a rotation will be used… but for how long?

That will depend on if Jones becomes the player the Steelers anticipated when they used the 17th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft to take him. Jones has been a solid contributor in run defense, but has fallen behind the curve with injuries early in his career, which has limited him to 5 career sacks.

On Monday Night, Jones played the most of any of the Steelers outside linebackers, on a total of 58 plays:

Player	Plays	Percent
J.Jones	42	72%
A.Moats	33	57%
J.Harrison	26	45%
A.Chickillo	15	26%

What may have come as a surprise to most observers is the number of reps Arthur Moats received. Moats has started 20 combined games for the Steelers, including Monday Night’s game, and 10 others in 2015. Despite playing X snaps for the Steelers, the former Bill has racked up 4 sacks in each of his two seasons in Pittsburgh.

Moats was third in playing time last year, playing exactly half of the team’s defensive snaps, and only 9 plays behind the 2nd-most used OLB, Dupree.

Butler is confident in Moats, and it could be why he saw the second-most reps on Monday:

“He does a good job in terms of knowing what he’s doing and knowing what everybody else is doing around him. He plays above the neck and he knows where to be and when to be there. He’s a pretty good pass rusher. He’s got a pretty good little pass rush. He’s going to help us.”

Considering the Steelers played out of their base defense often against the Redskins, Jones’ totals should be seen as a vote of confidence as well. Yet, the dark horse in the rotational race remains Anthony Chickillo. The former collegiate defensive end is a 2nd-year player who only logged 22 total defensive snaps in 2015.

With a similar spread in Week 2, Chickillo will surpass his prior year’s game experience; yet the Steelers are content with the status quo, building from within, with their typical “next man up” approach. Chickillo could surprise, and from all accounts, the coaches feel he’s worth the investment.

The worst case scenario is that Chickillo holds the defense afloat by not making any critical errors, while the team focuses on a heavy dosage of Jones, Moats and Harrison to get them by until Dupree returns. Even then, should Bud be ready by mid-season, he will need to work himself up to “football shape,” and the team may still depend on the rotation for the remainder of 2016, similarly how they worked Dupree into the lineup as a rookie.

So long as the defense maintains a “bend but don’t break” approach, much of the noise made about whether the Steelers use a rotation, or stick with a traditional lineup, may be all for naught.