Elandon Roberts needs to fend off hungry linebackers
It's true that Elandon Roberts hasn't started a single game for the Pittsburgh Steelers yet. The veteran linebacker spent four years in New England and three in Miami before joining the Steelers. Despite being in the later stages of his career, Roberts started all 17 games for the Dolphins in 2022 and was a team captain.
Based on his time spent as a starter in Miami and the fact that the Steelers gave him a respectable contract this past offseason, it's safe to assume that the plan was for Roberts to be a starting linebacker alongside Cole Holcomb.
But the tides can shift ever so quickly in the NFL. Out of the blue, the Steelers signed veteran Kwon Alexander. While Alexander isn't the same player that we saw in Tampa Bay way back in 2017, he can still carve out a role on this defense. Roberts isn't great in coverage, to begin with, so it might not take much to fall out of favor with the coaching staff.
After Holcomb, the door is pretty wide open as to which linebacker could ultimately claim a starting gig, and we can't forget about Mark Robinson either. We expect Roberts to start, but strong performances by other linebackers at training camp could lead to his benching.