Coming off a rookie campaign washed away by injuries, Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier is angling to put a different spin on Year 2.
"This is definitely a chance to wipe the slate and start off healthy and get back on point," Shazier said Tuesday, per the Beaver County Times. "Last year, it was kind of a disappointment for me because I felt like I could have brought more to the team."
Shazier repeatedly talked about proving himself to teammates after missing six games last season with ankle and knee problems. Before his body gave out, the No. 15 overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft showed moments of brilliance, heat-seeking ball-carriers with his 4.36 speed.
Shazier, though, also found himself out of position on plays and wound up competing for time with Sean Spence and Vince Williams by season's end. We've pegged Shazier for a starting spot on the inside come September, largely because of his draft stock and natural gifts. Adding eight pounds of muscle -- he's up to 233 pounds -- should help him survive the rigors of the campaign.
Shazier often popped off the screen on Game Rewind, but his durability troubles and a first-year learning curve overshadowed his fast start. A full offseason is just what the doctor ordered, leaving Shazier as a logical bounce-back candidate inside Pittsburgh's youth-injected defense.
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