With the transfer to land Jalen Ramsey by way of commerce, the Pittsburgh Steelers added a flexible participant who can transfer everywhere in the secondary. However the place he really matches throughout the Steelers’ defensive scheme stays in query.
After signing Darius Slay in free company to pair reverse Joey Porter Jr., together with including veteran Brandin Echols in free company and persevering with to develop Cory Trice Jr., the Steelers have numerous our bodies on the perimeter at cornerback. That makes Ramsey a possible reply within the slot because the nickel again, a task the Steelers had numerous struggles with final season.
Ramsey may even see a while as a security, serving to fill the void after Minkah Fitzpatrick was traded to Miami for Ramsey and TE Jonnu Smith. As Ramsey acknowledged to reporters Wednesday after reporting to coaching camp in Latrobe, he’s keen to play anyplace, simply so long as he’s across the soccer.
The place that finally ends up being will get labored out in coaching camp. However for Steelers.com’s Bob Labriola, who appeared on the 102.5 WDVE Morning Present Wednesday, he has some doubts that Ramsey would be the Steelers’ nickel again.
“I don’t know that Jalen Ramsey’s gonna be a nickel. I feel that numerous these items is simply evolving,” Labriola stated, in keeping with audio by way of 102.5 WDVE. “I don’t know if he’s gonna line up in the identical spot on each down. Definitely, shifting him round would maintain it not solely contemporary for the protection, however possibly somewhat extra complicated for the opposing offense.
“I don’t assume you need the opposite group to know the place Jalen Ramsey is gonna be on the snap.”
As that chess piece defensively, one that may deal with a lot of roles within the secondary, the Steelers can be sensible to maneuver him round. GM Omar Khan to reporters Wednesday that Ramsey’s versatility is a key purpose why they pursued him. Having that kind of participant who can line up in a unique place on first, second and third down shall be big for the Steelers underneath defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.
They haven’t had that shortly, possibly even relationship again to Troy Polamalu’s time. After all, Fitzpatrick did a few of that early in his Steelers tenure, however Pittsburgh moved away from that in recent times. Now, it seems they is likely to be attempting to get again to it with Ramsey.
A logical match initially for Ramsey seems to be because the nickel, lining him up within the slot. He has logged greater than 1,200 profession snaps there, so the expertise shouldn’t be an issue. He performs a bodily model of soccer, too and is an efficient blitzer off the sting as properly, so that matches properly into Pittsburgh’s scheme.
Will that be the one place Ramsey performs for the Black and Gold although? That appears most unlikely. They’re going to faucet into his versatility, transfer him round and maintain offenses guessing.
