The Pittsburgh Steelers have invested as much, or perhaps accurately, more, in their linebacker corps than any team in the NFL.
Among the eight linebackers who see playing time for the Steelers, four were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, including edge rushers Bud Dupree and Jarvis Jones.
The 14 sacks the outside linebackers have been responsible for account for just 38 percent of the team’s sack total – the lowest ratio the Steelers have seen since they went 6-10 in 2003, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Recently, in fact, the Steelers have seen their sack production stall almost entirely, as the lone Steelers sack in Week 16 come on a cornerback blitz by Brandon Boykin.