stillers4me
04-29-2018, 09:09 AM
Seven draft picks. Thirteen undrafted free agents. One inside linebacker. I know – the math doesn’t seem to add up. And for many fans, the biggest takeaway of the Pittsburgh Steelers 2018 draft is the lack of an inside linebacker. After all, it was the position they brought in the most in the pre-draft process and was by all accounts, a need for the team.
So what gives? Whether you agree with it or not, and I’m not saying I even agree, here’s my best explanation.
Obviously, what Kevin Colbert said about the inside linebacker class back at the Combine was him being honest. To him, the inside linebacker class wasn’t strong, save for a few playmakers at the top. Last Monday, going more in-depth about the draft, Colbert noted how few four down players there were, how the position has evolved into a group of specialists.
“The inside linebackers are changing as the college game has changed,” Colbert said. “They maybe do one thing really well. Maybe they rush the passer better than they cover. Maybe they’re better zone droppers than they are man defenders. Very few of them are really, what you say, four down type players. Some of them are two down, some of them are three, some of them are one down. They might only be special teamers.”
Translation: better get someone at the top or else you’re stuck with a player who has some obvious weaknesses.
And reportedly, Pittsburgh did. There have been several reports (http://www.steelersdepot.com/2018/04/dulac-rashaan-evans-was-steelers-1st-round-target-no-matter-who-was-there-at-28/) the Steelers made a push to trade up for Rashaan Evans, part of the “big four” of inside linebackers along with Roquan Smith, Tremaine Edmunds, and Leighton Vander Esch. Ultimately, that didn’t happen, Tennessee nabbed Evans and the Steelers were left holding the bag.
The goal wasn’t just to address the inside linebacker position. It was the Mack position. That can’t be a specialized position. The Buck, Vince Williams’ spot, has a different requirement. It can be specialized, Williams gets removed on all dime snaps, meaning there doesn’t need to be as heavy an emphasis on coverage. But the Mack? As we’ve covered, that player has to do it all. After those few four-down players were taken off the board, there wasn’t a good enough fit for someone to fill that role – in their minds, anyway..........
read more @ http://www.steelersdepot.com/2018/04/this-is-why-the-steelers-didnt-draft-an-inside-linebacker/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SteelersDepotBlog+%28Steelers +Depot%29
So what gives? Whether you agree with it or not, and I’m not saying I even agree, here’s my best explanation.
Obviously, what Kevin Colbert said about the inside linebacker class back at the Combine was him being honest. To him, the inside linebacker class wasn’t strong, save for a few playmakers at the top. Last Monday, going more in-depth about the draft, Colbert noted how few four down players there were, how the position has evolved into a group of specialists.
“The inside linebackers are changing as the college game has changed,” Colbert said. “They maybe do one thing really well. Maybe they rush the passer better than they cover. Maybe they’re better zone droppers than they are man defenders. Very few of them are really, what you say, four down type players. Some of them are two down, some of them are three, some of them are one down. They might only be special teamers.”
Translation: better get someone at the top or else you’re stuck with a player who has some obvious weaknesses.
And reportedly, Pittsburgh did. There have been several reports (http://www.steelersdepot.com/2018/04/dulac-rashaan-evans-was-steelers-1st-round-target-no-matter-who-was-there-at-28/) the Steelers made a push to trade up for Rashaan Evans, part of the “big four” of inside linebackers along with Roquan Smith, Tremaine Edmunds, and Leighton Vander Esch. Ultimately, that didn’t happen, Tennessee nabbed Evans and the Steelers were left holding the bag.
The goal wasn’t just to address the inside linebacker position. It was the Mack position. That can’t be a specialized position. The Buck, Vince Williams’ spot, has a different requirement. It can be specialized, Williams gets removed on all dime snaps, meaning there doesn’t need to be as heavy an emphasis on coverage. But the Mack? As we’ve covered, that player has to do it all. After those few four-down players were taken off the board, there wasn’t a good enough fit for someone to fill that role – in their minds, anyway..........
read more @ http://www.steelersdepot.com/2018/04/this-is-why-the-steelers-didnt-draft-an-inside-linebacker/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SteelersDepotBlog+%28Steelers +Depot%29