Adrian Robinson could be asked to play more on the Defensive side of the ball this year. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Regardless of how Woodley performs, the Steelers might be set to rely on a group of largely untested players at Outside Linebacker in 2013.

To his credit, Jason Worilds has performed well in spurts as a pass-rusher (10.0 career Sacks) during his career in Pittsburgh.  But the soon to be 4th year man out of Virginia Tech has missed his fair share of time due to injuries, and must prove to the team that he can stay healthy and contribute heavily in a starting role.  Furthermore, Worilds must prove that he can be stout and the point of attack, and set the edge against some of the League’s best Left Tackles the run game like Harrison did.

Chris Carter’s 2012 season ended on I.R., and he will be looking to get his career “on track” in his third professional season.  Overall, Carter has yet to record a single Sack at the N.F.L. level (11 Tackles total), and he looked completely over-matched when he started in Harrison’s place to begin last season.  2013 could be a “make-or-break” year for the former Fresno State Bulldog from a performance-perspective, because he is sure to have some young and hungry competition nipping at his heels.

Before he spent all of his 2012 season on Special Teams, 2012 UDFA Adrian Robinson did a solid job during the Preseason period as a pass-rusher.  Granted, the former college Defensive End’s skill-set at the position was a bit raw, and he was playing against fellow backups.  Yet Robinson’s relentlessness and tenacity off of the edge were welcome sights to me and fans alike.  Thus, if Linebackers Coach Keith Butler can help to develop other aspects of Robinson’s game like “setting-the-edge,” playing in space in pass-coverage, and using his leverage better as a pass-rusher, the former Temple Owl could definitely be a “diamond in the rough” for the team to turn to once he is ready to play.

Finally, do not forget about the potential addition of a high Round Draft choice at Outside Linebacker either.  Although it has never been in the Steelers’ nature to select Outside Linebackers in the early Rounds of the Draft (Chad Brown at #44 in 1993 is highest in 20 years, and he played ILB as well), they could very well be forced to go in that direction early this year if a talented player is available for them to take in Rounds 1-3.

As I have stated before, the possibility exists that a number of talented Pass-Rushers could fall to Pittsburgh at #17 overall due to injury, scheme-fit, off-field, or poor workout reasons.  Thus, Jarvis Jones, Damontre Moore, Barkevious Mingo, or Bjoern Werner could be available for Colbert & Co. to take in Round 1.  Even if the Steelers elect to fill their Pass-Rusher needs in on Day 2 (Rounds 2 & 3), there could be a wealth of talented players available for them to select from in the forms of Corey Lemonier, Jamie Collins, and Brandon Jenkins.

The competition for playing time with Harrison absent is sure to be open to any and all able bodied players at the position.  Thus, it is conceivable that any Rookie selected (high or low) could be asked to play out of necessity, especially if Worilds and Carter cannot stay off of the “Injury Report” instead of in the lineup.

Final Thoughts

Over the last two decades, a “transition strategy” has always seemed to have been in place when Pittsburgh’s Outside Linebackers have left town:

• Chad Brown replaced Kevin Greene when he left for Carolina in 1996.

• Jason Gildon replaced Brown when he went to Seattle in 1997

• Carlos Emmons replaced Greg Lloyd when he was released in 1998.

• Joey Porter replaced Emmons when he signed with Philadelphia in 2000.

• Clark Haggans replaced Gildon when he was released back in 2004.

• James Harrison replaced Porter when he was released back in 2007.

• LaMarr Woodley replaced Haggans when he left for Arizona in 2008.

I understand that it is early in the offseason.  But what truly scares me though is the fact that the Steelers do not exactly have an iron-clad “transition strategy” in place at Outside Linebacker.  Granted, I have faith that this franchise can find an “answer” like they have so many times before.  Yet the uncertainty and inexperience surrounding the position could be cause for alarm amongst the Front Office and Coaching Staff alike.

Who do I believe has the best chance to will step up alongside Woodley as a starter this year?  I have no idea.  If Worilds stays healthy, he will likely have the best chance.  But as long as “Deebo” can be replaced in the productive/statistical aggregate, any duo, trio, or quartet that emerges will be fine with me.

All I can say is that I am certainly interested to see what transpires, and who emerges at Outside Linebacker over the next calendar year.

Stats Courtesy of: Pro-Football Reference and ESPN.com

Players Contract Info. Provided By: Spotrac.com

Adrian Robinson went from UDFA to member of the 53-man roster in only a matter of months. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Am I the only one which saw shades of Joe Theismann’s horrific injury when the replays of Sean Spence’s knee were shown?  ACL, LCL, and Dislocated Knee Cap are never a good combination, and to think Spence will contribute anything to this club by the time 2014 rolls around is a bit of stretch.

But instead of adopting a “Negative Nancy” attitude about the recent injuries, I would like to focus on some more positive things, namely the 53-man roster which the team will be taking into the 2012 campaign.  I do not know about you readers, but the most interesting and intriguing thing to me about how the final roster broke down were the number of UDFA’s which made the final 53.  With the UDFA’s in mind, I thought I would take time out to recognize those which made the most of their efforts, and discuss what they could contribute to the team now and hopefully over the course of their careers’.

Drew Butler

Granted, Drew Butler did not have any competition for his job as Jeremy Kapinos missed the entirety of the preseason due to injury.  Yet Butler did a consistent enough job to not only keep the position, but prevented the Coaching Staff from scouring the waiver wire for somebody else.  On the preseason, Butler punted 28 Times for an average of almost 46 Yards (45.8), and now enters the season with the Punter job all to himself.  The Steelers have not had a Pro Bowl Punter since Bobby Walden garnered the honors back before there was a League merger, and could sure use some consistency and stability at the position.  Butler is young, has a strong leg, and appears to have the confidence of the Coaching Staff heading into this season.

Robert Golden

As for Golden, despite the fact that he injured his hamstring against the Panthers, the former Wildcat definitely played well enough on Special Teams and on Defense to earn a job on the Practice Squad.  I liked Golden’s skill-set coming out of Tucson, and I was especially fond of the fact that he had a great deal of experience playing Cornerback and Safety in the Pac-12 pass-happy conference.  Golden made 8 Tackles and 1 Interception on the preseason, and leapfrogged ahead of Da’mon Cromartie-Smith for one of the final roster spots.  Ryan Mundy and Will Allen had better be on notice during the next couple of seasons, because Golden will be jockeying for chances to prove himself on Special Teams and in Nickel & Dime sub-packages on Defense as well.

Adrian Robinson

Robinson to his credit showed a knack for getting to the Quarterback and creating pressure off of the edge over the last four weeks, and played much better than his stat line (3 Tackles and 1 Pass Defended) indicated.  While the former Owl Defensive End will have to work on fine tuning aspects of his game like defending the run and playing pass coverage, the skill set is there for Keith Butler to work with and develop.  And honestly, who better to learn from at a position than James Harrison and LaMarr Woodely, right?  Plus, the fierce competition between Jason Worilds, Chris Carter, and Robinson can only help this team in terms of stabilizing the position in the future.  On a team which will be purging veterans left and right over the next few seasons, these youngsters have walked into a solid situation where they can better themselves and eventually become N.F.L. starters and/or decent contributors over their careers’.

Final Thoughts

The Steelers have historically been a team which gives chances to, and develops UDFA’s on a more consistent basis than most.  I will definitely be interested in watching these guys develop over the next couple of seasons.  How long these three will stay on the 53-man roster is a mystery, but they did show enough promise to be kept around after only one Training Camp and preseason.  While they might not be household or recognizable names right now, these three players could make their presences felt earlier than expected.

Statistics Courtesy of: ESPN.com Steelers Page

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