Of everything Omar Khan and Co. did this offseason to launch the Steelers back into Super Bowl contention, no position was overhauled more than inside linebacker.
Gone are Devin Bush, Robert Spillane and Myles Jack. New additions Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts will now join Mark Robinson as the primary trio to cover the snaps in the second level of the defense, which figures to be an overall upgrade on paper. And, even after just one week of OTAs, it's a group that's already formed close bonds.
"Honestly, I feel like everybody in that room has been very professional," Holcomb told me during the first week of OTAs at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "We're all learning each other. I already feel like our room is pretty close. We've got a tight-knit group. I'm excited to get to work with them all year. We're just jumping right into it."
It's obviously a good thing that the completely reformed position has gotten off on the right foot. It's not easy for a position to be revamped to this degree and avoid some bumpy roads from the start. In fact, it's expected.
Anyone who watched the 2022 Steelers witnessed firsthand how new additions can affect the overall performance on the field. Adding Mason Cole and James Daniels to the offensive line surely upgraded the position, but it took half the season before we started to see the group become formidable in any fashion.
Obviously, inside linebacker and offensive line come with many different challenges, so it's a bit unfair to assume this trio will need half of a season to become productive. However, it also doesn't mean there isn't an adjustment period or a learning curve. The good thing is the newcomers are finding the positives in a potentially arduous journey from now until the start of the season.
"It's been fun," Holcomb told me. "You go through this process all over again. It's always fun to come in and ... you're learning a lot. It's different looks. At Washington, being three years in the defense, I understood the defense going against the offense all of OTAs, it's all the same looks and it gets repetitive. Now, it's like I get that new itch that's getting scratched. Just learning a lot right now. Just trying to absorb everything, learn this defense and get a really good grasp on it."
"I think it's a good thing that it's an overhaul in the room because everybody's learning," Roberts told me. "So, there's not one guy saying, 'We do it like this,' or, 'We do it like that.' Every guy's locked in, including our coach. Coach (Aaron Curry), he's doing a great job with us. He's taking his time with us. If we want to voluntarily do more work, then we ask him. Everybody's bought in, from the oldest to the youngest. We're all feeding off each other. It's an open community in the room. We've all got one common goal, and that's to put the best Steelers product on the field."
Curry replacing Jerry Olsavsky as the team's inside linebackers coach is another wrinkle in this overhaul. One way Mike Tomlin made up for the loss of Brian Flores leaving to take the defensive coordinator job in Minnesota was hiring Curry from Pete Carroll's staff in Seattle. While Curry doesn't bring the resume that Flores possesses, he does bring a rare blend of having coaching experience at the college and NFL levels, along with being a former top-five pick in the NFL draft.
He has enough coaching experience to get the most out of all of his players, but has the added benefit of knowing exactly how much pressure players experience coming out of college and can relate to just about any player he coaches because of it. Most important, he's already earning heaps of praise from his players.
Holcomb described Curry as having a great energy and being very enthusiastic and passionate about everything he does. Roberts went a different way in explaining Curry's impact in the linebacker room, bringing a sense a humility to the position.
"He's very detailed," Roberts told me. "He comes to work every day, ready to go every day. He doesn't act like he doesn't have all of the answers. If he doesn't have the answer, we're going to find out what is the answer. And if he does have the answer, he's going to coach us up on it to the best of his ability. The whole room is like, 'Teach me, teach me, teach me.'"
The second week of OTAs will begin Tuesday on the South Side, and this is the time when the foundation is laid in each and every position on the team. It's especially important for this group of inside linebackers because of all the new faces. Robinson is the only holdover from last season, and he only logged meaningful defensive snaps in the final two games of last season, and those came with mixed results.
But, this group being so keen on learning the scheme and learning each other's tendencies on and off the field is a great way to get a head start as activity ramps up from this point on. After all, this is the time to learn, which is why the group is so focused on what takes place in meetings, perhaps even more than what happens on the field at this point in the calendar.
"Once it's taught in the classroom, if we do go out on the field and mess it up, I feel like that's what these OTAs are about," Roberts told me. "Sometimes you have to mess it up to get it right. If you get it right the first time, then great. Let's keep doing that. Our whole room is under that, from coaches to players. I think we're doing a great job feeding off each other. We're all here to learn."
Because of all the moves Khan made to improve the roster, there is a much more tangible hype around this team. It can be sensed walking into the locker room, even in the beginning stages of OTAs. They expect to do much better than they did a season ago, and the newcomers are one of the reasons why.
While players such as Roberts weren't here a season ago, they understand the level of expectation is always high in Pittsburgh. They knew that from before they even put pen to paper. And, that's why they're doing everything they can to stay ahead of the curve.
"I wasn't here last year, so I can't speak what was the vibe last year," Roberts told me. "To my understanding, the Pittsburgh foundation always has good vibes. At the end of the day, it's about what you put out there on Sundays. That's what we're trying to do. We've got good vibes. The team is looking in the right direction. A little frustration isn't a bad thing. That's just me. You're holding yourself, your teammates and your coaches accountable. That's how you win on Sundays."
