The Pittsburgh Steelers have been making significant moves thus far during free agency under the direction of new general manager, Omar Khan and assistant general manager, Andy Weidl. As deals are being inked, analysts are weighing and giving their thoughts on Pittsburgh's new players.
Will The Steelers Look Much Different in 2023?
On his podcast, The Arthur Moats Experience, the former Steelers linebacker, Arthur Moats weighed in on how he thinks the free agency signings will change the composition of the team, specifically the aggressiveness of the group.
"We definitely doing the physical bully route, we're going to punch you in the mouth. Think about the difference right now, no slights, no shots, but the style of play from Devin Bush and Myles Jack in contrast to Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts, them dudes are like puncher punchers. It's just a beefier, more physical group. Not as athletic as Myles and Devin, very different in terms of contrast."
Moats says that different players bring different styles, it doesn't necessarily mean one is bad, but it does matter if the style lines up with the team's goals.
"Like we've talked about, we've tried the athletic, it's like alright, let's go this route."
Deke, who is Moat's co-host suggests that head coach, Mike Tomlin took for granted having a player like Vince Williams that was so physical. Moats agreed:
"Yes, because even when it was Shay (Ryan Shazier), you still had Law Dawg (Lawrence Timmons) and Law Dawg was gonna thump some and we know Vince was going to thump something. So every time you've had the crazy athlete we've had the thumper with it. Right now we've been kind of lost."
They discussed that they think this might have been residual influence from former senior defensive assistant coach, Brian Flores who was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins but also coached Roberts with the New England Patriots. He knows Roberts and it is possible he recommended him to the Steelers.
"Elandon was productive as heck in Miami with Flores. Elandon is a good player, don't get it twisted, he's a really good player. He's smart as heck man, he's gonna make the plays he's supposed to make. Especially when you're talking to the running game. He's gonna give you all of that. This is a good signing. We're just saying body types, and who fits what role. And we're not done yet."
Deke added that he likes these players and especially the fact that they have proven leadership on their team with captain's patches on their jerseys. He also feels that these players get the Steelers guys who have that tough, hard-nosed, smashmouth, blue-collar kind of vibe that Pittsburgh embraces.
Moats agreed and joked that he especially appreciates their jersey numbers, Moats was 55 when he was with the Steelers,
"I like both of the jersey numbers. It touched my heart. Roberts is 52 with the Dolphins and Holcomb is 55. It felt like a sign. I felt whole, come come come my brothers. It just felt like we were all one, all one band."
Holcomb and Roberts are potential upgrades for a Steelers' defense that was shaky at times during 2022. Holcomb, who is good friends with his former college roommate and quarterback Mitch Trubisky, was impressive at his pro day.
His best season was 2021, where he had 142 tackles, which made him 10th in the NFL and the only top 10 player in that category with seven passes defended. PFF ranks him ahead of Devin Bush, Myles Jack, and Robert Spillane.
Roberts has been in the NFL for seven seasons, his first four were in New England and the past three in Miami. As Moats mentioned, Flores coached Roberts in both cities. In 2021, he had a career-high 107 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 10 tackles for a loss.
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