4 Steelers training camp battles nobody is talking about
By Andrew Falce
Steelers off-ball linebackers
While not an insurmountable blow, the recent retirement of Vince Williams has left the Steelers looking at some new options at linebacker. Devin Bush is on pace to be fully recovered from his injury by the start of the season, so the team will have to figure out who will be starting next to him. The easy favorite is Robert Spillane, but he did seem to falter down the stretch last season and may need a good option pushing behind him to keep the linebacker play stronger overall.
Even if the team rolls with him as the starter, the rest of the depth chart needs to sort itself out. While the majority of the other options should make the roster assuming a veteran isn’t added, where they ultimately end up on the depth chart will be telling. Even if Spillane is listed as the starter, they will likely have some sort of rotation at linebacker to get a variety of looks on the field and maximize the talent they have on the roster.
It isn’t out of the question either that the team could add a veteran to this room via free agency or through a trade as well. The names they have aren’t bad but adding one last really solid competitor could set this group over the top. Even though Spillane is the early frontrunner to start, his spot is far from secure. As well, the team may realistically want to use a rotation of guys as well to maximize the talents possessed at this position. The competition should be fierce here in camp as there is a lot of playing time up for grabs.
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Some of the Steelers training camp battles are well documented and will be monitored going forward. Others, like these four, seem to be looked past by a lot of people despite how important solid play will be from these positions. Keep an eye on these four training camp battles that aren’t getting their proper coverage right now.