Steelers: Lack of depth at safety is making life easier on veteran signing
Perhaps the hardest part about running the Pittsburgh Steelers is trying to keep all your players in one piece. Injuries are inevitable in this league, but it doesn't mean you can't take precautions to mitigate their abundance amongst your roster. And while Pittsburgh is doing a great job in that regard, the same can't be […]
Perhaps the hardest part about running the Pittsburgh Steelers is trying to keep all your players in one piece.
Injuries are inevitable in this league, but it doesn't mean you can't take precautions to mitigate their abundance amongst your roster.
And while Pittsburgh is doing a great job in that regard, the same can't be said for one starter:
Minkah Fitzpatrick, Damontae Kazee remain out of Practice
The Steelers starting duo at free and strong safety have yet to practice together this camp, as Fitzpatrick deals with a personal matter that has him excused by Mike Tomlin.
Damontae Kazee is the incumbent at strong or boundary safety, but after suffering an ankle injury over the weekend, he hasn't practiced this week and is opening the door for Keanu Neal to slide into that spot, assuming the veteran free agent continues to make the most of his opportunity.
Now, in a perfect world, all three of these players are healthy, and on the field at the same time. That's because I obviously want Minkah playing his role as centerfielder for the Steelers, but I would like to see the Steelers base personnel include three safeties, or play out of what we call "Big Nickel."
"Nickel" personnel is when a linebacker is subbed out in favor of a defensive back, usually one that is a corner. But in "Big Nickel" that extra defensive back is a safety, and just so happens to be a role that Neal is familiar with.
But I don't run the defense of the Pittsburgh Steelers, that's up to DC Teryl Austin and HC Mike Tomlin, who will likely stick to traditional personnel packages on early downs, with two inside linebackers and two safeties.
So no matter which way you slice it, the absence of Kazee obviously hurts him from a reps standpoint and a team-building process at the least. But if Neal continues to capitalize on Kazee's absence it could spell trouble for his projection as starter.
Steelers’ Broderick Jones just challenged Mike Tomlin
I don’t think that will go over well
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