The Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker group is arguably the weakest in terms of depth. On Monday, the team waived/injured veteran OLB, Tuzar Skipper. Skipper has been on and off the team over the past few years before they brought him back in early June. Now, it seems to be the end of his tenure with the team. In Saturday's win over the Seattle Seahawks, Skipper recovered a fumble forced by Mark Robinson late in the fourth quarter.
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In a corresponding move, the team has signed James Vaughters as they continue to try and find legitimate backups. Derrek Tuszka and Genard Avery figure to be the primary backups at the moment, but Vaughters will get his opportunity as soon as this weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Vaughters has spent time with both the Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears in his career, working as a backup outside linebacker and a core special teamer.
Skipper's already been removed from the team's official depth chart, where he was originally listed as the third-string LOLB behind TJ Watt and Avery. Delontae Scott, the current third-string at ROLB, has impressed people throughout camp and could eventually take over as the primary backup if he makes the 53-man roster.
In some related news, former Steelers middle linebacker, Joe Schobert, signed with the Denver Broncos on Monday. The Broncos have been riddled with injuries in the middle of their defense, so Schobert figures to likely have a big role in Denver.
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Is this a lateral move or is Vaughters an upgrade over Skipper? Are you more confident in the OLB group? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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