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Besides the obvious change at the quarterback position, this off-season is on track to be a unique one for the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. In a time where a long lasting culture could potentially see change due to viable figures within the organization leaving, there will be a lot of positions that we could potentially see some movement in heading into the new season. One of those particular positions is one that may surprise most, after the Steelers have made moves to try and improve this position over the last few years, with the results not necessarily going in the Steelers favor.
The particular position I am referring to is middle linebacker, one of the Steelers most prized positions as an organization as a whole — which is exactly why they have put so much effort into solidifying this group over the past five seasons. As we know, back in 2019 the Steelers did something they almost never do. They traded their first round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft (20th) and a first rounder in 2020, to move up into the top 10 picks of the draft in order to select linebacker Devin Bush out of The University of Michigan. This was something the team hadn’t done since moving up to draft Hall Of Fame strong safety Troy Polamalu back in 2003, so that should tell you how highly the organization thought of Bush’s talent.
That specific talent that the Steelers saw was showcased well during Bush’s rookie year. He was a ballhawk in his first season in black and gold, where he was responsible for one forced fumble, four fumble recoveries and two interceptions. For anyone who watched Steelers football, you could see how quick Bush was to get to the ball with his pure speed getting to the edges almost as fast as the running backs themselves. He was able to cover the middle of the field in pass coverage and had the speed to keep up with most pass-catchers. That in itself was something the Steelers missed from that middle linebacker position since losing Ryan Shazier a couple of years prior with a career-ending injury. Bush accounted for 109 total tackles for the season and it was clear that the Steelers had gotten their guy for many years to come.
Unfortunately, that way of thinking came to a halt after Bush tore his ACL after just 5 games played back in 2020 and came back last year not looking like the same type of player he previously was. It was clear that the ACL injury was still affecting his play and seemed to limit Bush in what he could do physically throughout a football game. Speed is a big component of Bush’s game and without that, he just simply is not the same type of player. That being said, Bush’s number declined across the board in 14 games played in 2021, totaling just 70 tackles with only one fumble forced and no interceptions during the regular season. We have to be optimistic in this sense and figure that in 2022, Bush will have had a full year and a half of recovery and the Steelers can only hope he can get back to full form of what this team expected from him this upcoming year. My hopes are high that Bush can be a great centerpiece for a fearful defense for years to come.
When it comes to who will be playing beside Bush in 2022, that is where most questions will lie. The Steelers traded a 6th round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars last season in return for ILB Joe Schobert who was one of the league’s top tacklers in previous seasons. Schobert went on to have one of his worst seasons since 2017. Yes, he did tally over 100 tackles on the season (112 to be exact), but one of his strong suits throughout his career has been the ability to create turnovers, tallying a total of eight interceptions, six forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries the previous 4 seasons prior to getting traded to Pittsburgh. I think it is fair to say that Schobert was brought in to not only help fill gaps in the rush game, but to help in pass coverage as well — something he failed to do consistently in 2021. Now, I don’t want to be too harsh. Anytime a player tallies over 100 tackles on the year, they should be celebrated, but I think much more was expected of Schobert with the resume he has created throughout his six year NFL career.
Both Bush and Schobert are under contract for the 2022 season, and it would be fair to assume both will be back for the upcoming year. The Steelers have invested too much capital and have seen so many positive plays happen throughout Bush’s career that they will not be giving up on his ability after just one season where he struggled. In my opinion, Bush is going to have a bounce back year in 2022 and earn that new contract heading into that off-season. As far as who his counterpart will be, that I do not know. Schobert is under contract until the 2024 season ends and is owed about $8.7 million dollars next season. Schobert does have an impressive resume but is coming off of a down year in the Steelers system, and while there have been no reports on the Steelers moving on from him, I am just left to speculate whether or not it would be something the team would consider.
Do you think the Steelers should make changes at ILB? Comment below!
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The particular position I am referring to is middle linebacker, one of the Steelers most prized positions as an organization as a whole — which is exactly why they have put so much effort into solidifying this group over the past five seasons. As we know, back in 2019 the Steelers did something they almost never do. They traded their first round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft (20th) and a first rounder in 2020, to move up into the top 10 picks of the draft in order to select linebacker Devin Bush out of The University of Michigan. This was something the team hadn’t done since moving up to draft Hall Of Fame strong safety Troy Polamalu back in 2003, so that should tell you how highly the organization thought of Bush’s talent.
That specific talent that the Steelers saw was showcased well during Bush’s rookie year. He was a ballhawk in his first season in black and gold, where he was responsible for one forced fumble, four fumble recoveries and two interceptions. For anyone who watched Steelers football, you could see how quick Bush was to get to the ball with his pure speed getting to the edges almost as fast as the running backs themselves. He was able to cover the middle of the field in pass coverage and had the speed to keep up with most pass-catchers. That in itself was something the Steelers missed from that middle linebacker position since losing Ryan Shazier a couple of years prior with a career-ending injury. Bush accounted for 109 total tackles for the season and it was clear that the Steelers had gotten their guy for many years to come.
Unfortunately, that way of thinking came to a halt after Bush tore his ACL after just 5 games played back in 2020 and came back last year not looking like the same type of player he previously was. It was clear that the ACL injury was still affecting his play and seemed to limit Bush in what he could do physically throughout a football game. Speed is a big component of Bush’s game and without that, he just simply is not the same type of player. That being said, Bush’s number declined across the board in 14 games played in 2021, totaling just 70 tackles with only one fumble forced and no interceptions during the regular season. We have to be optimistic in this sense and figure that in 2022, Bush will have had a full year and a half of recovery and the Steelers can only hope he can get back to full form of what this team expected from him this upcoming year. My hopes are high that Bush can be a great centerpiece for a fearful defense for years to come.
When it comes to who will be playing beside Bush in 2022, that is where most questions will lie. The Steelers traded a 6th round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars last season in return for ILB Joe Schobert who was one of the league’s top tacklers in previous seasons. Schobert went on to have one of his worst seasons since 2017. Yes, he did tally over 100 tackles on the season (112 to be exact), but one of his strong suits throughout his career has been the ability to create turnovers, tallying a total of eight interceptions, six forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries the previous 4 seasons prior to getting traded to Pittsburgh. I think it is fair to say that Schobert was brought in to not only help fill gaps in the rush game, but to help in pass coverage as well — something he failed to do consistently in 2021. Now, I don’t want to be too harsh. Anytime a player tallies over 100 tackles on the year, they should be celebrated, but I think much more was expected of Schobert with the resume he has created throughout his six year NFL career.
Both Bush and Schobert are under contract for the 2022 season, and it would be fair to assume both will be back for the upcoming year. The Steelers have invested too much capital and have seen so many positive plays happen throughout Bush’s career that they will not be giving up on his ability after just one season where he struggled. In my opinion, Bush is going to have a bounce back year in 2022 and earn that new contract heading into that off-season. As far as who his counterpart will be, that I do not know. Schobert is under contract until the 2024 season ends and is owed about $8.7 million dollars next season. Schobert does have an impressive resume but is coming off of a down year in the Steelers system, and while there have been no reports on the Steelers moving on from him, I am just left to speculate whether or not it would be something the team would consider.
Do you think the Steelers should make changes at ILB? Comment below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
