The Steelers' parade of short-term band-aids since Shazier's career-ending injury show the rarity of that combination, which some NFL talent evaluators believe is becoming more scarce as the college game continues to spread out and evolve to favor finesse. I think that's probably the best way to describe it." "It probably adds to the complexity of the talent acquisition. "So much of the position is intangible quality, leadership, communication and things of that nature," Tomlin said at league meetings in March. His ideal off-ball linebacker can do both - while also being speedy and an effective communicator. It's not enough to be a downhill thumper or a ball hawk in coverage. "I don't know that we're making decisions in reference to Ryan."īut the club's actions underscore the position's significance - one with a rich tradition dating back to the Steel Curtain and Hall of Fame middle linebacker Jack Lambert.Įach position poses its own challenges, but playing inside linebacker in Tomlin's defense requires an especially specific set of skills. "Ryan has been gone for some time," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. There's never going to be another Shazier, and the Steelers insist they're not looking for a one-for-one replacement. Mentored early in his career by Shazier, who maintained a locker in the Steelers' practice facility before officially retiring in December 2020, Bush showed promise until a left ACL tear midway through his second season derailed his trajectory, and the organization declined his fifth-year option. None are on the current roster, and the majority lasted a season or less in Pittsburgh. The organization even drafted big-bodied safeties like Terrell Edmunds and Marcus Allen, who they hoped could give them Shazier-like versatility in sub packages.
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The Steelers have navigated a fruitless journey to replace a generational talent, signing free agents like Jon Bostic, Mark Barron and Myles Jack, trading for others like Joe Schobert and Avery Williamson, and trading up to draft Devin Bush. It's the latest attempt to fill the long-lasting void created in the middle of the field when linebacker Ryan Shazier's career ended prematurely on a routine tackle in December 2017 that resulted in a serious spinal injury and drastically altered his mobility. "That's kind of what started his ascension."Įight years later, Holcomb left the Washington Commanders to sign a three-year, $18 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. "Sometimes you get opportunities and you take advantage of 'em and you make the most of 'em," said Papuchis, now Florida State's special teams coordinator and defensive ends coach.
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Holcomb, just 195 pounds at the time, stayed in for the rest of the series and made tackles on three of the next four plays. "Who is that kid?" former UNC linebackers coach John Papuchis remembers Chizik asking over the headset.īy that time the second-stringer's helmet was back on, but Chizik waved him off. On the play after that, he made another one - this time for a loss. When a helmet popped off a member of the second string, Chizik called for the next available man to hustle on the field.Ī scrawny redshirt freshman walk-on jumped in the mix.
Only a few months into his first stint as North Carolina defensive coordinator, Chizik was overseeing a rotation of linebackers during a spring scrimmage. PITTSBURGH - Gene Chizik still remembers the first time he noticed Cole Holcomb. Why Cole Holcomb could be the key to the Steelers' linebacking reboot
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