When the Steelers’ big move of the offseason to replace injured Ryan Shazier was to sign veteran journeyman Jon Bostic, more than a few fans were concerned.
After all, they had seen the Steelers go from a defense that had allowed an average of just over 17 points per game with Shazier in the lineup to one that allowed 28 points per game following his spinal injury last Dec. 4 in Cincinnati.
But inside linebacker coach Jerry Olsavsky told me following practice Thursday he feels good about what he’s got at the position, a feeling the front office seemed to echo later in the day when it signed six-year veteran Vince Williams to a four-year contract extension worth just over $20 million.
Right now, Bostic is the guy who will replace Shazier in the base defense next to Williams. It will be Williams who plays the middle on passing downs.
“Vince can be that guy,” Olsavsky said. “The amazing thing about Vince is you watch his feet and his attention to detail, it’s very good. You could put on film from three years ago and never think he’d be a guy who would get eight sacks. He’s the guy right now. He’s that replacement. We have some big guys who play in the back, and we may bring another guy in, but that would only be in third-and-longer. You still have to stop the run, even on third down.”
Many might think that is wishful thinking. But the Steelers are confident they can scheme things up around Williams to make him an effective player. After all, he did record eight sacks last season — second on the team — and has continued to improve as a player, even at 28 years old.
Can it work? Well, that’s something that has yet to be seen.
Many point to last week’s 51-34 loss at Green Bay and might say no, but 14 of the points scored by the Packers came off turnovers and the Packers also had touchdown drives of just 40 and 50 yards because of poor punts in the first half.
Olsavsky saw some good things from the inside linebackers in that game, most notably the fact the Packers averaged just 2.7 yards per rushing attempt.
Williams didn’t play much and quickly gave way to Tyler Matakevich, who played most of the first half next to Bostic. Matakevich had been listed as the starter at inside linebacker, but Bostic got the start against the Packers and was elevated to the starter on the depth chart this week.
“Last year when Ryan got hurt, unfortunately, Tyler got hurt at the same time,” Olsavsky said. “You always plan for injuries. To get two at the same position in the same quarter was really kind of hard. No one has a plan for that. It’s really been since the injury to Ryan that we’ve been working on this. We’ve seen some things. I think the defense last week, the score didn’t reflect it, but we did some good things. That’s how preseason football is. We’re still evaluating. This game is going to be big because they’re going to get a lot of time together. Maybe they’ll be able to get into a rhythm.”
Bostic certainly hopes so. Since he’ll be on the field most often, Williams will continue to have the speaker in his helmet to hear the calls from the sideline, yet Bostic also can handle those duties, as he did last season in Indianapolis.
And, as he noted to me, “Whether I’m the guy making the calls or not, I’m always going to be communicating out there.”
So in that respect, the Steelers should be better. We’ll get a better chance to see if it looks any better Saturday against Tennessee. Mike Tomlin will play his starters longer into the team’s third preseason game, giving us a better idea of how things might look.
“Obviously, as linebackers, you’d like to make more plays,” Bostic told me. “But you’ve got to make the plays that come to you. I feel like I’m doing that. This week, we’ll gameplan a little more, so it will be a little different than just going out and playing football. We’ll get this week to see how we’ll look as a defense.”
MORE STEELERS
• Green Bay running back Jamaal Williams accused Williams of a dirty play in the Packers' 51-34 win last week at Lambeau Field, saying Williams deliberately twisted his ankle on a tackle. The Packers running back said it was "most definitely" a dirty hit. Nonsense, Williams told me this week. "I've made 300 tackles in the NFL and nobody has ever accused me of being a dirty player." -- Lolley
• Olsavsky said he had the top four linebackers in this year’s draft — Roquan Smith, Tremaine Edmunds, Leighton Vander Esch and Rashaan Evans — rated about where they went in the first round. He had hoped to get a shot at one of them in the draft, but all were taken before the Steelers picked, with Tennessee moving up to take Evans, the last one on the board. “Our plan is to be picking late. You’re not going to get a top-20 guy if you’re picking late.” — Lolley
PIRATES
• While the Pirates were getting ready to return to Pittsburgh last week, Gregory Polanco’s father, siblings and friends handed out school supplies in the family’s neighborhood in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Polanco’s donated money every season for the past five years to pay for pencils, erasers, books, notebooks, backpacks and even haircuts so hundreds of children are ready for the first day of school.
"It's something I want to do every year," Polanco said. "I love it. I wish I could be there, but that's why my family is there to help." -- Lance Lysowski at PNC Park
• Jameson Taillon and Chris Archer have become fast friends. The two watch each other’s bullpens and often share notes with each other afterward. Taillon’s thrilled to have yet another cerebral starter on the staff and plans to throw his bullpens with Archer in spring training next season. — Lysowski
• I'd comment on the mood in the clubhouse, but there hasn't been much to see over the past week. Position players have barely been in the clubhouse before games because they're either working with Joey Cora in the infield or with hitting coach Jeff Branson in the cages. On the other hand, there is an air of confidence surrounding this pitching staff, including the relievers. That hasn't been shaken by all the losing. -- Lysowski
PITT
• Unlike the Steelers' practice fields a few feet away, there are no giant curtains that can be pulled up to hide the Panthers' practice fields at the Rooney Sports Complex. But the Steelers' desire to keep away the prying eyes of drones, spectators and Bill Belichick is nothing compared to Pitt. The only portion of practice that is open -- even to credentialed media, who routinely cover the team -- is a half-hour long period of stretching and individual drills at the start. Who practiced and what was practiced remains a mystery as the Panthers' training camp is very much cloaked in secrecy under coach Pat Narduzzi. -- Chris Bradford at Rooney Complex
• Judging by his death grip on a podium mic stand the other day, Panthers tight ends coach Tim Salem is an intense guy. Now we know why, thanks to Tyler Sear. The sophomore tight end reports that Salem likes to open a can of Mountain Dew and leave it in his office refrigerator overnight. When he drinks it the next day he gets all the caffeine without any of the carbonation. -- Bradford
