The Steelers are loaded at inside linebacker at the moment. Spearheaded by Lawrence Timmons, the rest of the crew is comprised of the supremely talented Ryan Shazier, the perseverance warrior Sean Spence, and the bulldozing Vince Williams.
One of them in particular, Williams, has become a fan favorite in the past year. His hard hitting has become reminiscent of the Steelers of old, delivering crucial tackles on the opposing offense.
Williams, Shazier, and Spence, alongside Jarvis Jones, traveled out to Arizona to train with James Harrison for the offseason. Harrison was particularly pleased with Vince, noting how hard he’s been working out there.
There has been an influx of workout videos between the two, noting a sort of rivalry, with the younger Williams trying to outdo Deebo himself.
If Vince keeps improving, we could have the real deal on our hands.
I believe Williams can make a name for himself and leave his print in the NFL. He has the physical and mental capabilities to succeed.
He was drafted in the 6th round out of Florida State University in 2013 and was thrust into the starting job as a rookie to fill in for Larry Foote. Vince’s rookie year was catastrophic to say the least.
Always looking lost and out of place, he was quickly dominated on the field. Opposing offenses would specifically target him, knowing he was a weak link along the chains.
But he didn’t let it get to him.
His sophomore year, he was again in the starting lineup, rotating alongside Sean Spence for the injured Ryan Shazier. Together, they formed quite a duo.
Vince showed talent in the run stopping plays. Paired with his fiery attitude, it sounds an awful lot like a great combination.
The Steelers are lucky to have him on the squad. He has outdone his 6th round draft pick status, and is likely to continue to shine.
As the season wears on, I can see Vince Williams surpassing Sean Spence. I believe Williams’ skill set better compliments Shazier’s than Spence.
Not saying Sean Spence is a bad player, its just it doesn’t seem he will be able to completely beat out Williams for the starting job.
Don’t be surprised if one day in the near future, we see a revamped Steeler defense with Williams and Shazier lined up next to each other.
Stats courtesy of Steelers.com
3 comments
Great thread. To be fair to Vince though, the last three games of his rookie year, he started to put it together. He made some crucial stops and started flat out putting the lead to people that came through the hole and that’s what got Steelers fans, starting to watch him closer.
Is Vince going to be good enough to allow the Steelers to let Lawrence Timmons walk in free agency next year?
He will eventually, in my opinion. Maybe not for the next 2-3 years, but eventually I think he will.