The retirement of Vince Williams left the duo of Devin Bush and Robert Spillane as the unquestioned starters at inside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season.
The organization and those who follow it seem content with that. But what about the positional depth? Attrition, perhaps, is where Williams’ absence could be felt most.
Marcus Allen, Ulysees Gilbert III and Buddy Johnson are the most likely candidates to serve as situational inside linebackers and/or backups for Bush and Spillane over a short or longer term.
"Just the fact I’m here as a number one linebacker next to Devin Bush in this unbelievable defense, it feels special to me. But I don’t take it lightly, and I don’t take it for granted.” https://t.co/2LHDNqM9f2
— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) July 30, 2021
Allen is a fourth-year converted safety. Gilbert is an intriguing athlete who was hindered by back injuries his first two NFL seasons. Johnson is a rookie fourth-round pick.
Inside linebackers coach Jerry Olsavsky spoke about all three during a video conference call with media Thursday.
On Allen, a Penn State alumnus: “Marcus is coming along. We moved him around this time last year and the best thing about Marcus is that he’s a willing hitter. He doesn’t have a problem with the contact part of the game, and so he’s coming along fine. Unfortunately when you play defensive back and you’re in a lot of space, the contact is a little different, it’s farther away, you have more time to size guys up, the people aren’t as big, so that’s what we are getting Marcus used to. But Marcus has a very good body type; once he figures out how to use that body correctly, he’s going to be an excellent player.”
On Gilbert, a 2019 sixth-round pick: “We like “Uley.’ We like his skillset. He’s another guy that moved inside from playing out there in college, so there’s some adjustment. But I’m well-acquainted with being a little smaller and playing inside, so I just talk to these guys and try to work on it and if they’re good they can hold up. And Uley can run well. Unfortunately, he missed some time last year. … But injuries happen and you have to pick it up where you left off, and that’s really what Uley has done. He’s out there, he’s moving, he’s doing a lot of good things, and I just try to keep guys positive and going in the right direction.”
On Johnson, who was the leading tackler for a defense that ranked No. 1 in the SEC and team (Texas A&M) that finished the season ranked No. 5: “Buddy is a really solid player. I really liked him. … Some guys were drafted higher, but as an all-around linebacker, Buddy is a (dang) good inside linebacker. He can do a lot of things well. It comes from the SEC and they say, ‘Well, he can’t cover, he can’t do this,’ but that’s just because he hasn’t done it. Buddy’s got a really good skillset — just like Uley. Uley’s got great skillset — he can run, he can jump, he’s aware, he’ll talk. Buddy’s got the same skillset, he’s a little younger and he’s a little bigger so that helps you out a little bit. But they are both really good players — smart, they know what the other guy should do.”
Barring a major upset by a lesser-heralded player in camp or an acquisition from outside the organization over the next six weeks, Allen, Gilbert and Johnson figure to serve as the Steelers’ backup inside linebackers.
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