When the Steelers went into training camp in 2017, their depth at inside linebacker consisted of Tyler Matakevich backing up both the Mack and Buck positions manned by Ryan Shazier and Vince Williams, respectively.
But one of those things was not like the other, something the Steelers found out the hard way when Shazier suffered a severe injury to his lower spine Dec. 4 that year in a game at Cincinnati.
Unfortunately for them, Matakevich suffered a shoulder injury in that game, as well, forcing the Steelers to sign Sean Spence off his couch and also use L.J. Fort in that spot. It was a less than ideal situation and one that helped lead to a playoff loss to the Jaguars.
The team attempted to place a Band-Aid on that position in 2018, signing veteran Jon Bostic to slide into the spot beside Williams and adding safety Morgan Burnett to play a linebacker role in the dime package.
That didn't work, either.
Realizing their mistake of a year ago, the Steelers made sure they addressed the inside linebacker position this offseason.
First, veteran linebacker Mark Barron was signed after his release by the Rams in a salary cap-related move. Then, the Steelers traded their first, second and next year's third-round pick to the Broncos for the 10th pick in this year's draft, which they used to select linebacker Devin Bush.
Problem solved?
We'll find out. But the Steelers were certainly more aggressive in fixing their inside linebacker problem in 2019.
There's a theory that has become more popular in today's pass-happy NFL that if you're slow at middle or inside linebacker, you've got a slow defense, regardless of how fast everyone else happens to be. And the Steelers learned last season they just didn't have enough speed at inside linebacker.
"I think that’s a fair statement," Kevin Colbert said of that theory. "I just believe by the virtue of their positioning, be that in the rush and in coverage, their ability to play what’s in front of them, and sideline-to-sideline, their speed is impactful probably on the larger percentage of plays than people who don’t play in the middle of the field at the second level of play."
In Bush and Barron, the Steelers have gotten a lot faster at the position. Bush ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. Barron, a converted safety, ran a 4.54 40 at the Alabama Pro Day in 2012 before Tampa Bay selected him seventh overall in that year's draft.
How everything will mix together remains to be seen. The Steelers like the leadership Williams provides and he's an excellent pass rusher in the middle of the field, having recorded 12.5 sacks the past two seasons.
Williams also took over play-calling duties after Shazier was lost, becoming the player who relays the sideline calls from the coaching staff to the rest of the defense.
But the Steelers also feel Bush is a natural leader. Eventually, the Steelers don't see Bush coming off the field. The question will be how quickly he can acclimate himself to the defense.
"He’s an all-situations linebacker. Really all-three-down type of a guy versus the run, versus the pass, being in coverage, or in pressures," Mike Tomlin said. "And those are just the tangible things. We are equally as fired up about his intangibles. He comes from a football family. He’s a football guy. Everyone speaks very highly of him, not only as a player, but as a person. His leadership skills are unquestioned. We interviewed a lot of Michigan players through the draft process and it was unanimous in terms of who their unquestioned leader was."
The Steelers said similar things about Maurkice Pouncey when they selected him in the first round of the 2010 draft. And despite opening training camp that year No. 2 on the depth chart behind Justin Hartwig, it quickly became obvious Pouncey should be the starter.
Barron will likely open the team's OTAs, which resume next week, as the starter beside Williams. But the team will be keeping a close eye on Bush's progression, starting with rookie minicamp, which begins Friday.
"With Mark Barron on the defense, I think that helps. It gives us two good players in that role," Colbert said. "And where Devin is and how much he plays, that’s up to (Tomlin), but it’s nice to know that. I think he will help us at some point, but it’ll be when he’s ready and not necessarily forcing him into a situation.
"He was a great player on a really good college defense. Michigan’s defense was as good as any we saw in college football last year. That ability to transfer over, it’s still going to be an NFL game that he has to transfer into, so the longer you can delay, the better it is for the kid."
There will be pressure, however, to get him on the field quickly, especially considering where he was drafted and what the Steelers had to give up to acquire him.
"The last time we jumped (up in the draft), we got Troy Polamalu," Keith Butler said. "Also the last time we jumped, we won two Super Bowls. Not putting pressure to win Super Bowls, but I think it’s going to help us. I think he’s a good, young man who’s going to help us. He’s quiet but confident, and I like those type of guys."
They also like the way he plays.
"He really has really good late speed. He runs all the way through the sideline," inside linebackers coach Jerry Olsavsky said. "He's not sideline-to-sideline. He runs through people. He can really close when he's going to make a tackle. That's an added trait. It's different than just speed. When you want to run through the guy, that's really attractive."
Could we at some point see both Barron and Bush on the field together?
Perhaps at some point, even though that would make the Steelers awfully light at the position. After all, Bush weighs 234 pounds, while Barron is listed at 230.
At the very least, the Steelers have caught up with that. Now, instead of expecting Matakevich -- a 4.8-second 40-guy -- to back up both Shazier and Williams, they have plenty of speed at the position, especially when sixth-round draft pick Ulysees Gilbert also is factored into the equation. Gilbert ran a 4.48-second 40 at his Pro Day.
"The true linebacker when I played, or (even) five or six years ago, was a lot bigger body," Butler said. "The game is changing. The game is changing to a little bit quicker game. People are keeping three wide receivers on the field a lot more than they used to. So, we have to adapt as a defense. Sometimes adapting the defenses means you graduate to guys who can move."
