Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin reveals how he plans to replace Minkah Fitzpatrick on Pittsburgh’s defense
He has a plan.
Even if Minkah Fitzpatrick has lost a step or two, when you remove an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler from your team, you’re going to feel it.
But for Teryl Austin, it’s his job as the defensive coordinator to make sure the impact felt by the departure of Fitzpatrick is minimal.
And he has a plan on how to do so…
Teryl Austin is willing to get multiple on defense
“It’s part of the deal”, Austin told Tim Benz on the Breakfast with Benz podcast via transcription from SD. “To me, you lose Minkah, who by name is a free safety, and you’re gaining Jalen (Ramsey) by name, who’s a corner. But really, they’re just good football players, and you’ve got to use them and their skills accordingly . . .
” . . .What l’ve got to do as a coach is, ‘Hey, what can we do with these guys that they do best and help us win games?’ And that’s really what l’ll do, so whatever that is, we’ll just move it around. It might look a little different at times, but we’re hoping the results are good for us.”
Jalen Ramsey will not be a direct one-for-one swap for Minkah Fitzpatrick. He will not roam the middle and play free safety the way Fitzaptrick did at the peak of his powers. What he will do, however, is something more important.
He will be a Swiss Army Knife. We have already seen him play outside corner, slot/nickel, and even safety in training camp.
So the Steelers’ plan is simple: mystery and multiplicity.
By having players that can play multiple positions in the secondary, you don’t allow offenses to get a beat on what you’re doing. It’s why versatility is such a coveted trait in the NFL Draft. The downside of that is miscommunication, mental errors, and missed assignments.
But we have seen a minimal amount of those in camp. Pittsburgh knows they have to be sharper now that Fitzpatrick is gone, and it’s going to be a committee approach, opposed to an individual one. It’s up to everyone on that side of the ball to make sure it works.
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