How many chances do the Pittsburgh Steelers give Tyler Matakevich, Jon Bostic?
There’s a pressing concern on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense and it’s inside linebacker. But how many chances do Tyler Matakevich and Jon Bostic get before a move is made?
We are two weeks before the start of the 2018 NFL season and the Pittsburgh Steelers have no idea who’s starting at inside linebacker. Right now, L.J. Fort and Matthew Thomas should be competing, because Jon Bostic and Tyler Matakevich have proven they’re nothing more than concerns for this defense.
It’s a sad reality that the two men poised to fill the void of Ryan Shazier have nothing promising to offer. In fact, people are somewhat starting to accept that outside of Vince Williams, the inside linebacker position is just going to be a gapping hole for Pittsburgh.
That’s a problem. Pittsburgh’s defense doesn’t look good as it is, the last thing they need is to have a major issue at inside linebacker. Teams will take advantage of them all day, and there’s no way you get past quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers with an issue this large.
So, what’s the solution? No idea. At this point, it all comes down to how much the Steelers want to invest in the position, and how concerned they are with the players currently in it.
They can’t have Matakevich, Bostic and another offseason signing competing for the job. If they feel as though they need to make a move, somehow, they need to find a way to get rid of one of the two players already on the roster. Most likely Bostic.
They also need to consider Thomas and Fort. No one wants to see either of them start, understandably. But Fort has come to training camp in better shape than he’s been throughout his career, and right now, he’s looked the best out of all four.
Thomas is young and flashy. He has the athleticism to play the position well and was at one point considered to have some of the NCAA’s highest potential. That doesn’t say much, but it could mean he’s worth tossing in the first team a few times to see what happens.
Next. 3 players making the roster, 3 who aren't. dark
Either way, there needs to be change. These two aren’t getting the job done and it’s going to break a lot of hearts watching them miss tackles in the regular season. So, before that happens, and the Steelers are three weeks in trying to find a new inside linebacker, changes need to be made. The efficiency of the defense depends on it.