When Minkah Fitzpatrick spoke Tuesday after the Steelers' seventh day of OTAs, it was the first time he'd spoken to Pittsburgh media since the team decided to exercise his fifth-year option.
He expressed gratitude for the organization's commitment to him and excitement to get to work with a secondary that will be missing two key contributors in Steven Nelson and Mike Hilton:
But just as important to the Steelers' secondary in their coverage plan is their linebacker group, namely Devin Bush.
Fitzpatrick being one of the top safety prospects of the 2018 NFL Draft and Bush one of the top linebacker prospects of the 2019 NFL Draft, both come with high pedigrees. Both also are vital to the Steelers' capabilities to cover the middle of the field.
"Part of it was we were missing two of our starting inside linebackers," Fitzpatrick said Tuesday when asked about how the Steelers can get better defensive matchups against opposing wide receivers.. "Devin and (Robert) Spillane got hurt during the season and we had to bring in guys who didn't understand the playbook as well. Teams attack that. When they spread them out, they'll throw three to the strength and two to the weak side. The guys that are there are linebackers and our guys were new to the scheme who didn't understand the concepts 110 percent. Teams kind of exposed that and again, all it it boils down to at the end of the day is execution."
Fitzpatrick's right in that Avery Williamson and Marcus Allen were not the answers the Steelers needed to replace Bush's speed, agility and football IQ, as Dale Lolley highlighted this weekend.
But it's having the two of them together that will make the team's coverage plans special. Both have the capabilities to be X-factor defenders that cover the middle of the field, causing havoc for the talented passing opponents like the Chiefs, Packers and Titans now with Julio Jones.
That could minimize the loss of two key cornerbacks.
YOUR TURN: Does Bush's return outweigh Nelson and Hilton leaving?