Time to address Penguins' pinching problems

By Mark Madden

http://triblive.com/sports/

March 27, 2018

Nolan Patrick #19 of the Philadelphia Flyers handles the puck against Kris Letang #58 of the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on March 25, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

As noted in this space Sunday, the Penguins don't have a Plan B.

That's no indictment of coach Mike Sullivan. As two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, the Penguins haven't needed one. “Playing the game the right way” has sufficed.

But one particular phase of the Penguins' game has been torn asunder: Defensemen are too easily circumvented when they pinch, and odd-man breaks surrendered are far too plentiful.

Reasons abound for this problem:

• When pinching, the defensemen play too much puck and not enough man.

• Forwards are derelict getting back, perhaps too often assuming the defenseman will win the pinch.

• The opposition has it figured. The Penguins' style is nuanced, but not chock-full of options. The defensemen pinch all the time. The defensemen join the rush all the time. (The latter also contributes mightily to the odd-man break problem.)

So, how to fix it?

Good question.

The Penguins aren't conceited, but they are convinced. It's foolish to bash a style that has worked so well. Why should they change, or even adjust much?

But the NHL has changed, and adjusted. The Penguins once overwhelmed with speed. Now much of the league has caught up.

Here are some options, none of which Sullivan will consider.

• Limit which defensemen join the rush, and in what situation. Kris Letang always does, Chad Ruhwedel rarely does, everybody else is in-between. Offensively, some defensemen contribute more.

• Keep a forward high depending on score and situation. Pinch, but with less risk.

• An extreme alternative would be to trap, then counterattack with numbers after turnovers. Don't laugh. That's what the 1991-92 Penguins did to overcome a three-games-to-one playoff-series deficit against Washington en route to a second straight Stanley Cup. It was Mario Lemieux's idea.

The Penguins shouldn't abandon risk. They're high-risk, high-reward.

But the Penguins should play more sensibly when the situation calls. They've proven they can: witness zero goals surrendered in the last two games of last season's Stanley Cup Final.

Sullivan has certainly noticed the problem.

“Sometimes when we tend to give up odd-man breaks, it's because we're flat in the offensive zone with the three forwards,” Sullivan said after the Penguins beat Philadelphia, 5-4, in overtime Sunday. “We don't have any sort of depth to our attack.

“If something doesn't go right for us — if we hit a shin pad, or we lose the puck — now we're on the wrong side of it. We're chasing it.”

The solution is simple, said the Penguins coach: “Make sure you're on the right side of people and have some depth in the offensive zone.”

Loosely translated, that means the high forward should lean toward covering for the defenseman when he pinches — even more so when score and clock dictate.

The twits on Twitter are wetting their pants with worry: “This style will never win in the playoffs! We need Fleury and Cole back!” Like the citizens know more about what it takes to succeed in the postseason than the two-time defending champs. Yikes.

The forwards can fix a lot of the Penguins' defensive problems: make fewer turnovers. When they are made, make them less grievous. Chase back with better anticipation and more commitment.

Conor Sheary's shortcomings in that regard may lead to him not getting a jersey for playoff games. When centering Sheary and Phil Kessel, Derick Brassard has to be Patrice Bergeron dipped in Bob Gainey. That's too much defensive burden when you also have to produce. (Which Brassard is starting to do.) Jake Guentzel isn't much better than Sheary defensively.

At least the Penguins have locked up one significant accomplishment: They swept the season series against Philadelphia. Have you ever seen the Flyers win the Cup?

Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9).

MORE SPORTS

Penguins lose game, Derick Brassard in Detroit 

Kevin Stallings got cheerleaders and a band. How will Pitt introduce Jeff Capel? 

Tim Benz: Could Steelers really draft QB in 1st or 2nd round? 

Kevin Gorman: Pitt checks all right boxes by hiring Jeff Capel 

Tim Benz podcast: What Jeff Capel's hiring means for Pitt

Uh, oh! Sidney Crosby is starting to do Sidney Crosby things

By Tim Benz

http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/

March 25, 2018

Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins moves the puck in front of Sean Couturier #14 of the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena on March 25, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

Some of the things wrong with the Penguins might not be fixed before the playoffs.

Shot suppression has been an issue. The Penguins averaged 33.6 shots against over the past six games. That'd be the sixth-worst average projected over the course of this year.

As Mike Sullivan said after Sunday's 45-shot performance from the Flyers, "It seems like every shot they are taking is getting to the net."

With Marc Andre Fleury in Vegas and Matt Murray playing through a season plagued by injury and personal loss, the goaltending just might not be as pinpoint as the past two seasons.

The Penguins are 24th in save percentage.

The penalty kill is below average. It ranks 17th at 80.3 percent, and 48 power-play goals allowed is 11th most.

But if these defensive deficiencies don't get corrected, something of note offensively seems to be improving to offset some of those woes.

Sidney Crosby is starting to do Sidney Crosby things.

That's bad news for the rest of hockey.

There really hasn't been much to complain about regarding Crosby this season. He's ninth in points with 83.

Crosby is eighth in assists with 57. He's played in every game, and entering Sunday he was 10th in average ice time and second in faceoff wins. Plus, he had 38 takeaways, which put him on pace for his best total since 2013-14.

There's a lot of good there.

However, the captain isn't scoring goals at the rate we are used to seeing.

Crosby's 44 goals last season led the league. He's got 26 so far this year. Entering Sunday, that was good for 41st in the league. His 11.3 shooting percentage as of Sunday would be a career low in a full season. Over the first nine games in March, he only scored twice.

That appears to be changing.

Crosby has scored a goal in each of his last three games. It's not just that the puck is going in the net, it's how — and when — Crosby is making that happen.

He's doing it in typical Crosby fashion, and the goals are coming at crucial moments.

Against Montreal on Wednesday, Crosby deposited that now-famous, double-swat-in-the-air goal past Carey Price to tie the game. The Penguins went on to win 5-3.

Minutes into Friday's game against New Jersey, Crosby got the Penguins on the board with one of his patented kick-the-puck-to-himself moves.

Then in the third period of a tied game against the Flyers on Sunday, Crosby scored a prototypical Crosby-kind-of goal.

One hand on the stick. Protecting the puck on his back hand with his backside. Warding off Sean Couturier. Driving through the legs. Creating shooting space with a couple of choppy stick-handling moves to get Shayne Gostisbehere down to the ice, then elevating a wrist shot over him and beyond goaltender Petr Mrazek.

It won't go down as one of Crosby's top 20 goals. Yet, it summed up what went into the other 407 he has scored.

"I think he's the hardest player to get the puck away from in the league," Sullivan said. "He protects as well as anyone. That goal is an indication of how difficult of a player he is to check or defend.

"We're seeing that more and more from Sid."

Crosby wasn't done, firing a tape-to-tape pass to Bryan Rust in front of a wide-open net to win the game in overtime 5-4.

"You can tell he is elevating his game at the right time of the year," Rust said. "In the times when his team needs him the most, that's when he makes the big plays."

With Crosby going in the goal department, that could cancel some of the defensive issues that could challenge the Penguins the rest of the season. After the win Sunday, Crosby seemed pleased at the notion his play might be a harbinger of things to come in the postseason.

"It's great when it's going in," he said. "If you are creating chances as a line, I think you gain momentum and confidence from that."

No. 87 on a hot streak is a great eraser for a lot of negatives.

If he can keep it rolling, it might be an eraser for the playoff bracket for a third year in a row.

Tim Benz is a columnist for the Tribune-Review. He hosts the Steelers pregame show on WDVE and ESPN Pittsburgh. He is a regular host/contributor on KDKA-TV and 105.9 FM.

MORE SPORTS

Breakfast with Benz: Penguins need a good road win; Steelers seeking a QB?; Pirates prospect steals home

In working back from neck surgery, Penguins' Kris Letang earns Masterton nomination

Tim Benz podcast: Buffalo-area Pitt coaching potentials and NFL owners meetings updates

Jose Osuna, leading Pirates in HRs, RBIs this spring, sent to Triple-A as club finalizes roster

Matt Murray unconcerned about Penguins allowing too many shots on goal lately

Steelers set forth plan to replace the irreplaceable Ryan Shazier

By Jeremy Fowler

http://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/

March 23, 2018

Ryan Shazier

PITTSBURGH -- Short of drafting an exceptionally fast linebacker who will become a franchise pillar, the Steelers were never going to truly replace Ryan Shazier, who will miss the 2018 season because of a severe spinal injury.

Without Shazier's rangy playmaking from sideline to sideline, the Steelers are forced to modify their identity a bit. The defense is built from the inside out, with anchor defensive ends Cam Hayward and Stephon Tuitt. Their contracts, worth up to a combined $120 million, say so. But Shazier's ability and a growing knack for creating interceptions improved the Steelers' pass coverage and streamlined their overall defensive attack in the back seven.

It's a rush-and-cover league, a style that suited Shazier perfectly.

Since finding that speed in free agency was not a possibility, the Steelers must adapt.

The last week has provided a glimpse into the team's plans:

Safety versatility: The signing of Morgan Burnett at three years for $14.5 million shows the Steelers are serious about improving a back end that had too many missed tackles and communication breakdowns late in the season. The team didn't enter free agency expecting to spend big but saw a sagging safety market and smartly attacked it.

Burnett is best suited as a strong safety but can play both spots, giving the team flexibility to move Sean Davis to free safety if that's the best route. The Burnett signing could affect J.J. Wilcox ($3.8 million cap hit), but the Steelers told Wilcox this offseason that he'd be in the mix to compete for a job.

With these three, the team can draft a safety but won't be forced to reach for one. Burnett was forced into helping out at corner for the Packers' depleted secondary in 2018, but he can play at slot corner in a bind or as a run-stopper.

The Steelers covet hybrid players.

“The more you can do, the longer you can stay around," Burnett told reporters after his signing Tuesday. "I have things in my toolbox that I'm capable to move around and play different positions if need be."

The succession plan: After signing a two-year, $4 million deal in the second wave of free agency, inside linebacker Jon Bostic is likely a stopgap option for the Steelers in the middle of the defense. But the Steelers were woefully thin at the spot opposite Vince Williams, and Bostic's signing represents progress. Even if he has lost a step, Bostic was a second-round pick in 2013 with a 4.61-second time in the 40. He should be able to help stop passes in the flat and in tight end coverage until a rookie linebacker is ready, which might be soon.

Cost-conscious improvement: The Steelers are seemingly always in need of more cap space, but they found a way to navigate the second wave of free agency by not overpaying based on the talent. Burnett at roughly $4.83 million per year is good business. He's a 29-year-old who started 102 games for a contender. According to a few scouts, Burnett has plenty of game left as a crafty veteran and opportunistic tackler.

Much was made of the Steelers' ability to replenish the defense while carrying Le'Veon Bell's $14.5-million franchise tag. Oh no, they have no cap space! Well, they just got two starters for less than $7 million per year -- likely less than that in 2018, depending on how signing bonuses and salaries are structured.

Still about the draft: The Steelers have spent their last five first-round picks on defense, and all five started significant games in their first seasons. The Steelers are unafraid to throw a young player into the mix. T.J. Watt was last year's unquestioned starter in training camp. That's why if an inside linebacker the Steelers like falls to late in the first round, the team will give him the chance to fill Shazier's void in earnest.

Enough needs are filled, so the Steelers can take the best-player-available approach. But even though they say that's their formula, all their recent top picks have filled positions of need.

The Steelers have a challenge to duplicate Shazier's athleticism in the first round, but a playmaker somewhere in the back seven might just help put them over the top.

Crosby has highlight-reel goal, milestone assist as Penguins beat Canadiens

By Will Graves, Associated Press

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/crosby-has-highlight-reel-goal-milestone-assist-as-penguins-beat-canadiens/article38318761/

March 21, 2018

Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his second period goal against the Montreal Canadiens at PPG Paints Arena on March 21, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

Sidney Crosby doesn't really have an explanation for how he does what he does. He just does it.

So if you're looking for clarity on how the Pittsburgh Penguins star managed to knock a pass from Jake Guentzel out of the air , deflect it forward to the front of his stick before tapping it by one of the best goaltenders on the planet to spark his team to a 5-3 win over Montreal, look elsewhere.

"You try to finish plays out in practice," Crosby said after the 406th goal of his career, one unlike the 405 that came before it. "Sometimes it works out that you can do it in the game and sometimes it doesn't. Fortunately, it did today."

Montreal rallied from a two-goal deficit to take a 3-2 lead 14:24 into the third on Jacob de la Rose's fourth goal of the season. The advantage lasted less than a minute. Guentzel chipped a pass to Crosby and Crosby did the rest.

"Are you surprised, really?" said Price, who finished with 34 saves in his return after missing a month due to a concussion. "It was a great play. I tried to hit it and he got it first, then he batted it back in. That's pretty impressive."

And pretty necessary for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, who avoided dropping both games of a back-to-back against also-rans Montreal and the New York Islanders.

"It was a huge goal for us," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "It was an answer to the goal that they got to gain the lead to go in. To go in after two periods with a tie game was really important for us."

Derick Brassard put the Penguins in front to stay by beating Price 2:38 into the third period and Crosby became the third active player with 700 career assists when he set up Guentzel for an insurance goal with less than 2 minutes to play.

"It was a weird second period but I think after the second we knew it was a big two points for us," said Guentzel, who had a goal and two assists. "We needed to come out in the third and I think we did that tonight."

Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist also scored for the Penguins, who drew within two points of idle first-place Washington in the Metropolitan Division. Casey DeSmith finished with 27 saves and happened to have a pretty good view of Crosby treating the puck like a yo-yo.

"That was one of the cooler things I'll see," DeSmith said. "It was perfect timing, too, right at the end of the second, get it right back, I think that was a huge goal."

Jonathan Drouin, Nikita Scherbak and Jacob de la Rose scored for the Canadiens but Montreal lost for the ninth time in 10 games.

"It doesn't matter if you're young or old, it sucks to lose," Montreal forward Brendan Gallagher said. "I don't think anyone in here is happy with how it's been going lately. You come to the rink everyday with the expectation that you're going to win a hockey game and too many times, I think we've left disappointed. It's been tough."

The Penguins are in the midst of a sluggish stretch in which they've mixed performances where they look very much like a team capable of winning a third straight Cup with clunkers like their 4-1 loss to the fading New York Islanders on Tuesday night. Sullivan chastised his players afterward for yet another lethargic start and lacklustre play in the defensive end.

Barely 24 hours later, the start was better after Malkin and Hornqvist gave the Penguins a 2-0 lead, but the play in their defensive zone was iffy at best.

Drouin scored off the rush late in the first period to give the Canadiens momentum. Scherbak tied it 8:19 into the second with a gorgeous short-handed deke by DeSmith. Montreal briefly took the lead when de la Rose followed his own shot, skating by three guys in black sweaters to tap in his own rebound.

Crosby, however, responded in a way few of his peers can.

"You're really sure what he's going to do," Guentzel said. "I think he amazes you every night."

NOTES: The game featured a rarity: two penalty shots. Price easily stopped Pittsburgh's Derick Brassard in the first. DeSmith turned aside Gallagher in the second. ... Pittsburgh is 9-6-2 in the second night of back-to-backs. ... Montreal's 24 road losses are a franchise record. ... Linesman Steve Miller left late in the second period and missed several minutes after having his right hand gashed. Miller was back on the ice for the start of the third period.

UP NEXT

Canadiens: At Buffalo on Friday night. Montreal is 3-0 against the Sabres this season.

Penguins: Host New Jersey on Friday night. The Devils have won the first two meetings this season.

Sidney Crosby a glaring omission from ESPN The Magazine's 'Dominant 20'

By Rob Rossi

http://triblive.com/sports/

March 20, 2018

The Penguins’ captain, Sidney Crosby, with the Stanley Cup after Game 6 of the 2017 Finals. It was the third Cup for Crosby, who also won his second consecutive Conn Smythe Trophy. CreditChristopher Hanewinckel/USA Today Sports, via Reuters

A hockey player isn't among the 20 athletes designated as dominant during ESPN The Magazine's 20-year run . This should surprise nobody.

Despite some encouraging signs over the last couple of years (broadcasting the last World Cup of Hockey, hiring arguably the most groundbreaking hockey writer of the past decade in Greg "Puck Daddy" Wyshynski), ESPN is hardly viewed by NHL fans as friendly toward the highest level of the coolest game on Earth.

To be fair, were there more fans of the NHL in America, ESPN probably wouldn't mostly treat the NHL as simply a league to which it is obligated to pay a smattering of attention. Of course, if ESPN did pay more attention to the NHL, the league probably would draw in a bigger American audience.

Who cares, right?

Well, you should care. If you're a fan of the Penguins or Sidney Crosby or a Penguins fan because of Crosby, you should care at least a little.

Crosby has suffered from a fractured relationship between the NHL and ESPN. He had the bad luck of joining the NHL after its games stopped being broadcast on ESPN properties.

So even though Crosby has lived up to his "The Next One" expectations, he hasn't been propped up by ESPN — the One And Only for a majority of American sports fans.

Crosby deserves to be a national name in our national sports conversation. He isn't, and it isn't because he has failed to deliver since driving the NHL's comeback from the self-imposed exile that was the 2004-05 season lost to a lockout.

Were it not for parts of two seasons lost to a concussion and a chunk of one surrendered to a broken jaw, Crosby likely would be a four-time MVP with at least three championships. If you're wondering, that essentially would make him LeBron James, who rates second on ESPN The Magazine's list.

Is it safe to presume freak injuries prevented the Face of the NHL from making this list?

If so, why would that be the case?

Crosby is the NHL's sixth-leading scorer since ESPN The Magazine debuted, and his debut occurred eight years after the publication's first issue. He also leads the NHL in that time in points-per-game, playoff MVPs, Olympic golden goals and undefeated international runs.

And if we're talking about all athletes, let's talk, like, for real. Crosby successfully pulled his league from the brink of obscurity, pried his franchise from the edge of relocation and pushed a clueless hockey culture toward taking (somewhat) seriously the protection of players' brains.

Crosby is at least the best NHL player since Mario Lemieux, maybe since Wayne Gretzky and perhaps more influential in his sport than either of the two greatest hockey players the galaxy has known. Also, in his 13th season, he remains a consensus pick as the NHL's best player.

Is James in the NBA? Is Roger Federer in tennis?

Seems there is at least a debate about where each of those undeniably dominant athletes stands amongst peers. There really isn't a debate about Crosby , who is holding off the Oilers' Connor McDavid at least as well as Gretzky did Lemieux in the mid- to late-1980s.

Lists are always subjective. ESPN The Magazine claims "foolproof math" for its list, but the omission of Michael Phelps certainly suggests foolishness was worked into the equation.

Still, at least Phelps' absence was raised by ESPN's radio and television personalities during debates about ESPN The Magazine's list Tuesday. Crosby was not part of those debates.

It's as if the greatest hockey player of his generation isn't on the radar at the sports media giant. It's a shame but not a surprise.

Sidney Patrick Crosby is well into a second decade of dominance.

But his star isn't shining as bright it should in America because Crosby's dominance has coincided with the NHL and ESPN being worlds apart.

Rob Rossi is a contributing columnist. Follow him on Twitter @Real_RobRossi.

MORE SPORTS

Sidney Crosby's dazzling goal sparks Penguins' victory over Canadiens 

Goal of the year? Penguins' Sidney Crosby scores on memorable play 

Sean Miller says he's not a candidate at Pitt

Tim Benz: Sneak peak at NFL's simplified catch rule seems better, not great

Pirates' Trevor Williams warms up for his second season with eight-strikeout effort 

Patience brings Steelers steal at Safety

By Tim Benz

http://triblive.com/sports/

March 20, 2018

That worked out nicely, didn't it?

I admit it. I was disappointed that the Steelers didn't sign Tyrann Mathieu when he hit free agency.

A lot of that disappointment, though, was rooted in the perception that the Steelers had also already decided against signing any one of the other top-flight free agent safeties who had been sitting idle on the open market for a week.

After all, they had just interviewed Miami's Michael Thomas, who appears to be more worthy of replacing Rob Golden as a backup than Mike Mitchell as a starter.

Plus some high-end projections at the start of free agency had the likes of Morgan Burnett and Eric Reid getting upwards of $8 million against the cap annually in a new contract.

So, with Mathieu heading to Houston, we were staring at the prospect of the Steelers having to convert Cam Sutton to safety or rely on the bargain basement of the free agent market or just pray that a first- or second-round draft pick at safety could start from Day 1 out of training camp.

Then Tuesday morning rolls around, and Burnett is a Steeler.

How did that happen?

The answer is: patience.

General manager Kevin Colbert may have just gotten the Steelers into a better spot than if they had signed Mathieu in the first place.

If you are someone who wanted to pay a higher cap hit for the younger, more splashy, perhaps bigger-play — but often injured — safety for just one year, then you wanted Mathieu.

If you wanted the more versatile, steady, veteran — but often injured — safety for multiple years at a lower rate, then you are happy the Steelers passed on Mathieu and wound up with Burnett.

The perfect world probably would've been getting Mathieu on Burnett's contract. Which was reported by NFL Network to be $14.5 million over three years, with $10 million guaranteed over the first two seasons.

That wasn't going to happen, though.

In fact, Mathieu coming on the market and signing the contract he did probably helped deflate Burnett's payout for the Steelers. Because whether he was worthy of it or not, if Mathieu had approached free agency traditionally like Burnett and the other safeties coming off expiring deals did, his reputation would've made him the most sought-after player on the board at the position.

So when Mathieu inked a one-year, $7 million “prove-it” deal, dreams of four- and five-year contracts exceeding $30 million went out the window for the likes of Burnett and Reid.

“I didn't get too wrapped up in it,” Burnett told reporters Tuesday after his signing was officially announced. “I'm confident in my skill sets, knowing that one day I would get a call.”

Colbert's patience paid off. If he had jumped to upgrade at safety during the legal tampering period to simply get a better player than Mitchell — such as Burnett — he would've had to pay more to get him.

He may have been bidding against himself, as it turns out.

Now, not only are the Steelers getting potentially a better player with less verbal baggage than Mitchell, but they are doing so at roughly the same cost of the savings of ditching him.

And, as opposed to Mathieu, you don't have to worry about filling the void next year or competing for Burnett's services on the open market if you want to keep him.

Well played. Especially because you got a guy who was perceived to be out of the Steelers' price range in February.

Now the Steelers just have to figure out what do with him. He played strong safety most recently and even got forced into slot corner. He played free safety earlier in his career and is believed to be capable of playing a hybrid linebacker role , too.

“In Green Bay, our defense was interchangeable,” Burnett said. “In the program it says ‘free' or ‘strong.' But technically if you are a safety, you've got to play both.”

Does Burnett bring the panache of the Honey Badger? No.

If, on March 12, you had told me the Steelers would've signed him to replace Mitchell, would I have been thrilled? Yes.

And if you told me it would've been at this price, I would've told you that you were insanely optimistic.

Then again, for months I've been telling tons of doubters that the Steelers wouldn't be barred from addressing inside linebacker and safety in free agency just because Le'Veon Bell was on the franchise tag.

They did both in the last two days.

So maybe seeing is believing for all of us.

Tim Benz hosts the Steelers pregame show on WDVE and ESPN Pittsburgh. He is a regular host/contributor on KDKA-TV and 105.9 FM.

MORE SPORTS

Mark Madden: Is there a worse job than coaching Pitt basketball?

Penguins underwhelm in loss as Matt Murray returns 

Pirates notebook: Clint Hurdle reflects on being 1978 Sports Illustrated cover boy

Steelers sign strong safety Morgan Burnett to 3-year deal 

Rob Rossi: Sidney Crosby a glaring omission from ESPN The Magazine's 'Dominant 20'

Pittsburgh Steelers' 2018 free agency: Jon Bostic a much-needed starting option at ILB

By Jeremy Fowler

http://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/

March 18, 2018

A breakdown of the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2018 free-agent signings.

Jon Bostic, LB

The Steelers signed Jon Bostic, who played last season for the Indianapolis Colts. Here's a closer look at the signing:

Grade: B. The Steelers stayed away from the expensive linebackers in the $5 million- to $9 million-per year range and opted for a journeyman who capitalized on a starting chance in Indianapolis with 97 tackles and a sack. Bostic, who agreed to a two-year contract, will be viewed as a good stopgap to replaceRyan Shazier until a draft pick develops.

What it means: The Steelers' inside linebacker position opposite Vince Williams is wide open, and Bostic signed with the expectation that he'll compete for a starting job. The team was not planning to re-sign Sean Spence. Tyler Matakevich is primarily Williams' backup, though he can play both spots. Bostic is a former second-round pick who ran a 4.61 in the 40 at the combine. He's on his fourth team since 2015, so this is hardly a long-term option unless Bostic majorly builds off his 2017 campaign.

What’s the risk: Limited risk for a player who will probably command about $2 million per year. The Steelers entered the weekend with about $6.5 million in cap space, just enough to add linebacker depth and maybe special-teams help. This is a smart signing for a team that wasn't going to spend wildly. Shazier isn't playing in 2018, and the team couldn't sit idle after the run defense struggled late in the year, giving up at least 150 yards in three of the final six games.