Inside linebacker was perceived as in need of serious bolstering at the conclusion of last season, to the degree that the Steelers addressed it in veteran free agency and again in the draft over the offseason.
Jon Bostic and L.J. Fort both made starts and played significant snaps at the position in 2018 but are no longer on the roster.
Free-agent addition Mark Barron, fresh from starting Super Bowl LIII for the Rams, and No.10 overall pick Devin Bush have been brought aboard as re-enforcements.
It remains to be seen how the division of labor is ultimately sorted out.
"They haven't really told us anything," incumbent starter Vince Williams maintained at the outset of OTAs this spring. "However 'Coach Butz' decides to divvy it up, that's how it'll play out."
Defensive coordinator Keith Butler revealed little as to his intentions during Mandatory Veteran minicamp, other than to acknowledge the anticipated upgrade having Barron and Bush at the Steelers' disposal will provide in the passing game.
"It'll help us in coverage," Butler said. "It'll help us in coverage quite a bit."
Heading into training camp it appears obvious if not inevitable Bush will be a significant contributor.
Players and coaches alike raved about the rookie from Michigan's presence and potential during the football-in-shorts segment of the Steelers' offseason preparation.
"We're gonna need him, man," Williams said. "You don't draft a guy in the top 10 unless you're ready to put him in there, plug him in and let him make plays. I'm just happy he's available to do that.
"He's amazing, he's smart, top tier athletically, loves football."
Bush is familiar to Butler as well as coveted.
Devin Bush Sr. was a safety for the Browns in 2001 and 2002, when Butler was the linebackers coach in Cleveland.
"Both of them are inquisitive," Butler observed. "Both of them, they have questions that are good questions. They're not way-out-there questions or anything like that. They're questions that are to the point.
"He comes from a football family, just like Terrell Edmunds did when we took him (28th overall in 2018), just like T.J. Watt did when we took him (30th overall in 2017). I think that's probably one of the better advantages for us in terms of hitting on draft picks. Those guys come from football families. They're not coming in as a rookie and having to figure out everything that goes on around them, that's a tough deal.
"We're good to go with the guys we've taken."
How they'll be deployed on defense this season, at inside linebacker, in particular, remains to be seen.
Williams seemed as unconcerned about such details as he was uninformed this spring.
"It's about everybody," he insisted. "Every man that puts his hand in the pile is going to contribute.
"It's not going to do anybody any good being selfish."
Heading into training camp it appears obvious if not inevitable Bush will be a significant contributor.
Players and coaches alike raved about the rookie from Michigan's presence and potential during the football-in-shorts segment of the Steelers' offseason preparation.
"We're gonna need him, man," Williams said. "You don't draft a guy in the top 10 unless you're ready to put him in there, plug him in and let him make plays. I'm just happy he's available to do that.
"He's amazing, he's smart, top tier athletically, loves football."
Bush is familiar to Butler as well as coveted.
Devin Bush Sr. was a safety for the Browns in 2001 and 2002, when Butler was the linebackers coach in Cleveland.
"Both of them are inquisitive," Butler observed. "Both of them, they have questions that are good questions. They're not way-out-there questions or anything like that. They're questions that are to the point.
"He comes from a football family, just like Terrell Edmunds did when we took him (28th overall in 2018), just like T.J. Watt did when we took him (30th overall in 2017). I think that's probably one of the better advantages for us in terms of hitting on draft picks. Those guys come from football families. They're not coming in as a rookie and having to figure out everything that goes on around them, that's a tough deal.
"We're good to go with the guys we've taken."
How they'll be deployed on defense this season, at inside linebacker, in particular, remains to be seen.
Williams seemed as unconcerned about such details as he was uninformed this spring.
"It's about everybody," he insisted. "Every man that puts his hand in the pile is going to contribute.
"It's not going to do anybody any good being selfish."
