Tag: Elandon Roberts

Steelers insider believes injured linebacker could soon return in 2024

Cole Holcomb’s recovery progress sparks hope for his return to bolster the Pittsburgh Steelers’ linebacker unit.

In what has been a turbulent buildup to the Week 15 contest between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, injuries have plagued both sides of the ball for the Black and Gold. However, one Steelers insider believes that do-it-all linebacker Cole Holcomb may be returning from injury very soon.

In his well-known Steelers Chat on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, insider Gerry Dulac shared an update on Holcomb’s recovery process after being asked to check in. He stated, “Well, I can at least tell you his recovery has been outstanding, and, to me, from what I’ve seen, I wouldn’t be surprised if they add him back to the roster soon.”

Holcomb has been sidelined since suffering a season-ending left knee injury on November 2, 2023, during the Steelers’ Week 9 contest against the Tennessee Titans.

His return would help solidify the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ linebacker corps as arguably the best in the NFL, with LBs Patrick Queen, Elandon Roberts, and rookie Payton Wilson all playing at an exceptional level.

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Steelers defender was second best LB over past two weeks, per PFF

Payton Wilson has emerged as a standout in the Steelers’ linebacker room, offering hope for the future of the team’s strong defense.

In a stacked Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker room that features the impressive run-thumping talents of Elandon Roberts and the do-it-all, well-rounded Patrick Queen, rookie Payton Wilson has shined the brightest over the past two weeks.

On 21 defensive snaps in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens and 32 snaps in Week 12 against the Cleveland Browns, Wilson has performed as the second-best linebacker in the entire NFL, according to PFF.

Wilson’s speed, agility, and play recognition make him an imposing force in run defense, but his true talents appear to lie in pass defense. Over the past two weeks, he allowed just three receptions for seven yards, and NFL QBs had a dismal average passer rating of 36.5 when targeting him.

The linebacker position has been an area of concern for the Pittsburgh Steelers ever since LB Ryan Shazier suffered h is career-ending spinal cord injury in 2017, and it is exciting to know the future of this strong Steelers defense can rely on the impressive LB room led by Roberts, Queen, and the emerging Wilson.

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Is Mike Tomlin making another Wilson-sized mistake?

Although rookie Payton Wilson continues wreck offenses on Sundays, he is still being used sparingly. Could this be a mistake by Tomlin?

It appears to be a Wilson-eat-Wilson world for the Pittsburgh Steelers. While QB Russell Wilson has finally been given the opportunity to succeed, it seems HC Mike Tomlin has ‘moved on’ from rookie WR Roman Wilson. Now, LB Payton Wilson could be the next ‘Wilson-sized’ mistake by the Steelers’ head coach. 

The young linebacker has not only excelled through seven weeks of football, but Wilson is also playing like one of the best rookies in the league. Meanwhile, LB Patrick Queen, one of the biggest signings from the Steelers’ 2024 free agency class, hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. While Queen’s play has struggled to say the least in 2024, he continues to get almost double the playing time of his rookie teammate.

Should Wilson be considered for more snaps? And if so, could the Steelers implement a three-linebacker rotation between Queen, Wilson, and the elite Elandon Roberts? Similar to the Week 8 quarterback decision, only one man can get the rookie onto the field more often, and Tomlin may once again be choosing loyalty to a subpar player over another Wilson. 

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Will Steelers’ LB rebound in Week 8 after inconsistent start to 2024?

Patrick Queen hasn’t really lived up the hype that surrounded his signing. Can the linebacker bounce back in Week 8 against the NY Giants?

Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Patrick Queen is due for a breakout game in Week 8, right? While the word ‘elite’ may describe fellow linebackers Elandon Roberts and Payton Wilson, ‘inconsistent’ better summarizes Queen’s 2024 performance.

He’s currently on pace to record his highest number of missed tackles in any of his five NFL seasons, and he’s currently tied for the second-worst missed tackle percentage of his career this year.

With that being said, Queen’s play hasn’t been all bad—he was solid in Weeks 2, 3, and 5. However, one major setback for the fifth-year linebacker from LSU has been his pass coverage. What was once a strength during his final years in Baltimore, has taken a significant step back in 2024 with the Steelers, as he’s allowing an average passer rating of 103.2 when targeted by opposing QBs.

While Roberts and Wilson have been more consistent on the field, Queen has a good chance to bounce back against the struggling Giants’ offense in Week 8.  Tune in to Monday Night Football this week to see if Queen can finally turn things around this season, on October 27th at 8:15 PM EST.

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Fight breaks out at Steelers training camp practice, and Mike Tomlin isn’t happy

The Steelers have their first fight of training camp this week.

We saw our first big scrum of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp on Wednesday. Fights are inevitable when players are competing for roster spots and there is a lot you can learn about players from how a fight happens and the players involved.

The fight on Wednesday started when quarterback Justin Fields took a big hit from linebacker Elandon Roberts on a run. Rookie guard Mason McCormick did what any offensive lineman should do and he went down and laid a hit on Roberts, having his quarterback’s back.

This wasn’t something head coach Mike Tomlin liked seeing.

“We got a little bit less than professional and chippy today,” said Tomlin. “It’s an opportunity to teach and learn. As part of this process as much as we hate it, we’ll learn and grow from that. We got some form of lessons to learn.”

The Steelers are preparing for their first preseason game against the Houston Texans on Aug. 9.

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Former Steelers LB is healthy and Pittsburgh needs to be paying attention

Kwon Alexander put out a hype video showing he is recovered from his torn Achilles.

Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers saw a huge bump in the play at inside linebacker. This was in large part due to the contributions of Kwon Alexander. The Steelers signed Alexander late in the free agency process and ended up paying big dividends.

Alexander posted the hype video below on his social media showing he is healthy, in shape and ready to play. Be warned, the accompanying music is NSFW.

Last season, Alexander appeared in nine games with only two of those starts. Alexander finished the season with 41 total tackles along with an interception and a forced fumble. Alexander’s season was cut short by a torn Achilles.

With it seemingly less likely that Cole Holcomb is going to play in 2024, Alexander would be an ideal addition. The Steelers have veteran Elandon Roberts, big-money free agent Patrick Queen and superstar rookie Payton Wilson.

Alexander came in as a rotational player last offseason and fit in perfectly and he could do the same again in 2024.

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Steelers LB Elandon Roberts makes big entrance at training camp

Elandon Roberts showed up ready to work at Steelers training camp.

Last season, inside linebacker Elandon Roberts joined the Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent, but it wasn’t clear just how much of a factor he would be. By the end of the season, he was the last inside linebacker standing and easily the best of the three the team added.

On Wednesday, Roberts showed back up at training camp, making an entrance as big as Texas. Roberts said that the physicality of camp last year came as a surprise but really prepared him for what to expect this season and he’s ready for it.

“Personally, last year, I was like, ‘Dang, we really be tackling in camp.’ I was cool with it, but I wasn’t expecting it,” Roberts said. “So just being able to see that last year, go through a year of training camp. This year it’s kind of like, let’s get the ball rolling.”

Pittsburgh got Roberts some help in the middle this offseason, signing Pro Bowler Patrick Queen to a huge contract in free agency.

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Steelers’ Patrick Queen, Elandon Roberts give Vince Williams, Ryan Shazier vibes

Steelers ILBs Patrick Queen, Elandon Roberts, could be the second coming of Vince Williams, Ryan Shazier.

The inside linebacker position has long been one of weakness for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since Vince Williams retired in 2021 and Ryan Shazier’s tragic injury forced him to retire, the corp hasn’t been the same.

Pittsburgh took a step in the right direction in 2023 by bringing in Elandon Roberts, Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander. Unfortunately, injuries put an end to that trio, starting with Holcomb midway through the season.

Alexander is no longer with the team, but the Steelers addressed the need by signing free agent Patrick Queen and drafting Payton Wilson (no relation to Russ or Roman).

Mark Kaboly, Steelers insider for The Athletic, is all for the move stealing Queen from the Ravens.

“Patrick Queen likes to talk trash and speak his mind no matter who might be offended,” Kaboly wrote. “And he’s pretty smart, too.”

“Elandon Roberts might be the most underrated player on the roster. He will blow up opposing running backs, linemen, whomever, and love doing it.

As we all do, Kaboly expects Queen and Roberts to be a significant upgrade over previous inside squads. He gets a Vince Williams/Ryan Shazier vibe from the duo. “They come across to me as a Vince Williams/Ryan Shazier remake, and that duo worked quite well together.”

If observation becomes reality, the Steelers could be set — especially if they extend Roberts before his contract expires next spring.

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Steelers linebackers looking great heading into 2024

PFF ranked the Steelers linebackers as 13th-best in the NFL for the upcoming season.

Last season we all applauded the Pittsburgh Steelers for the moves they made to improve the inside linebacker depth chart. The team added Cole Holcomb, Kwon Alexander and Elandon Roberts and despite the injury bug mowing through them, this group was better than what we’d seen in several seasons.

But this offseason, with Alexander gone and Holcomb still recovering from injury, the team basically had to start over. The front office made a huge signing with Patrick Queen coming over from the Baltimore Ravens and then drafted Payton Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Pro Football Focus ranked the linebacker units and for the Steelers, they were fair with their ranking of No. 13 in the NFL which worked out to No. 8 in the AFC. Here’s what they had to say about the rankings:

The Steelers made a splash at the linebacker position this offseason by bringing in Patrick Queen from the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. Queen has improved every season since entering the league and is coming off a career-high 73.0 PFF grade. He has yet to turn 25 years old, so it’s reasonable to expect that he will continue to get better. Alongside him, Elandon Roberts posted a career-high 72.2 PFF grade on 622 snaps in 2023.

If a few things fall right, this group will end up far outplaying the ranking. Holcomb could still be ready to play this season and he adds significant athleticism and if Wilson is as good as advertised, he might take Roberts’ starting spot next to Queen.

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Steelers LB Payton Wilson doesn’t lack confidence: ‘I wanna be the best in the world’

Payton Wilson was one of the best defenders in college football in 2023.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed linebacker Patrick Queen in free agency, the inside linebacker position got a huge boost. You might have thought they were done but it was just the beginning for Pittsburgh. The team then went into the 2024 NFL draft and got one of the biggest bargains when they chose linebacker Payton Wilson at the end of the third round.

Wilson was absolutely dominant in college and played with an NFL level of confidence. A confidence he still has after the first few weeks of OTAs. Wilson talked after OTA practice and didn’t hold back talking about what his goals are.

“I’m just super excited to go to Latrobe and compete,” Wilson said. “Like I said since I was a youngin’, I wanna be the best in the world. … I’m gonna come in and I’m gonna help this team win a Super Bowl.”

In 2023, Wilson was the heart of the North Carolina State defense. He finished with 138 total tackles, six sacks, three interceptions and recovered two fumbles. Wilson will compete with veteran Elandon Roberts for reps at inside linebacker next to Queen.

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