Coach sees breakout for Edmunds
Third-year safety was first-round draft pick
The Steelers had one of the top defenses in the NFL last season. They led the league in sacks and takeaways and were among the top six teams in points against, pass defense and total defense.
On Friday, in his first interview since last season ended, defensive coordinator Keith Butler said he hopes his unit will be better this season.
That, of course, depends on a number of things. Butler mentioned health, specifically that of defensive end Stephon Tuitt. He missed most of last season with a pectoral injury. It will also depend upon the development of second-year linebacker Devin Bush and the play of veteran Vince Williams, who is a starter again after the departure of Mark Barron.
But perhaps most of all, the upward trajectory of the Steelers defense could hinge on the play of Terrell Edmunds, the third-year strong safety who has struggled to make a mark since arriving as a first-round pick in 2018.
Just how important is this season for Edmunds?
“It’s huge for him,” Butler said Friday afternoon on a Zoom call with local reporters. “He’s coming along and has been coming along. There are great expectations in terms of where you’re drafted. We took him high. At the time we [felt] like he could help us.
“I think he’s going to get better. Having Minkah
[Fitzpatrick] across from him, with his communication, and the way they play and how they can complement each other … I think he’s going to be a big asset for us if he continues to get better. I think he will continue to get better. Our secondary coaches have done a good job with him. As we go along, the more he plays, the more comfortable he’s going to get mentally. If they start to get comfortable mentally, most of the time they’ll play faster. Let’s hope that happens with him.”
It might be unfair to call Edmunds the weak link on the Steelers defense, but it is clear Butler and the rest of the defensive staff are expecting a big jump in his play this season. Edmunds has started 31 of 32 games since arriving from Virginia Tech. He has played more than 1,000 snaps in each of his first two seasons, which is why Butler’s comments about his comfort level are so perplexing.
If he’s not completely comfortable within the defense after playing so much his first two seasons, what makes Butler think the light will go on in year three?
Rod Woodson, the Hall of Fame cornerback, still keeps a close eye on his former team. He told the Post-Gazette in the spring that Edmunds would be a better fit as a dime linebacker than a true strong safety.
“Obviously, the league has gone to almost all spread offenses,” Woodson said. “You need that hybrid-type player. Edmunds can be that type of player. Sometimes he’s been put in positions where he’s had to be a cover safety. If he was in the dime role, he’s big enough to play the run. And he’s good enough to cover tight ends and running backs. He can even spy quarterbacks. He’d be a good blend if they did that. I wouldn’t be surprised if they made that move.”
The Steelers didn’t pull the trigger on a position change, perhaps because of the offseason being wiped out due to COVID-19, as well as the team not acquiring a safety in the draft. Butler did say on Friday that the coaches brainstormed a lot of ideas over the past few months and many of them are still on the table.
“We’ve kicked a lot of things around,” Butler said, when asked about the possibility of Edmunds playing dime linebacker. “Going into the season and coming out of last season, we tried to find out what will make us better, where we put them.”
Butler only has to replace one starter on his defense, and he explained the decision to go with Williams as the replacement at linebacker for Barron, who was cut after one season. After reviewing all games last season Butler said the Steelers were hurt by a lack of communication in the middle of the defense.
Williams, who is entering his eighth season, is adept at getting his teammates lined up in the proper spots.
“He’s a great communicator,” Butler said. “When we went back and looked at our film we felt like our communication … if anything went wrong with our defense, it was more on our communication. There is primary communication, which starts on the first part of the play, and then as the plays starts to play out sometimes you have to make adjustments. And Vince is really good at doing that for us – getting the calls to the guys and making sure we’re all on the same page for us. That’s big for us. That’s what he brings to the table.
“He’s very physical. We feel like we get him one-onone with a back, he can win that. We feel like he’s a good rusher. We think he can cover, maybe not as [well] as Devin. But he does a sufficient job for us.”
Two test positive
As training camp testing continues, the Steelers have placed two more players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, and both have been key weapons for the offense the past two seasons.
James Washington, the team’s leading returning receiver, and versatile running back Jaylen Samuels are the two most notable Steelers to draw the COVID19 designation, which means they either tested positive for the virus or came in close contact with someone who tested positive. The team is not permitted to specify and did not for the two previous players placed on the list, cornerbacks Justin Layne and Arrion Springs.
The roster moves of Washington and Samuels, combined with eight cuts, brings the Steelers’ count to 79 ahead of the NFL’s deadline to reduce roster sizes to 80.
According to an NFL Network report Thursday, the team also intends to sign Curtis Riley, a free safety who has been a part-time starter with the Giants and Raiders, but that move is not yet official.