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The Pittsburgh Steelers have spent much of the offseason reshaping their roster on the defensive side of the ball. They have already moved forward in adding players in free agency to fill the void left by talent that has departed.
One of the players brought aboard is former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Jon Bostic. His two-year deal puts him in position to fill the spot left vacant with Ryan Shazier out of the mix for the 2018 season following his terrible injury in 2017.
With that in mind, Bostic has made it clear that he isn't replacing Shazier by any means, according to Joe Rutter of TribLive.com.
“I would never say replace,” Bostic said Monday after signing a two-year contract with the Steelers. “He's a special player, and I'm sure he's definitely going to be back at some point.”
Although Bostic doesn't want to view his addition as a replacement for Shazier, his responsibility for next season will be to fill that exact spot. He clearly has a tremendous amount of respect for what the Pro Bowl linebacker has accomplished on the field and what he means to the organization.
On top of that, Shazier is working his way back in his recovery from his spine injury to eventually return to the field. He has posted videos on social media working out to strengthen his body. There isn't a set timetable for his return, but it's clear that he is hedging toward getting back on the field at some point after 2018.
In the meantime, Bostic has a chance to etch out a significant role in the Steelers' defense as a key piece of their front seven. The 26-year-old is coming off a productive campaign with the Colts where he had 97 total tackles with a sack and three passes defended in 14 games played.
