We are one day closer to the start of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, and we continue to plow through the 30 scenarios leading up to the team reporting to St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. Today's scenario will focus on ILB Ryan Shazier, and whether he will be selected to his first Pro Bowl in 2016.
Scenario: Ryan Shazier is selected to his first Pro Bowl in 2016
Why it will happen: Shazier turned a lot of doubters into believers in 2015. The "Shazier is too small to play inside linebacker" fan club lost several members throughout the season. In fact, when looking at Shazier's stat line, it is pretty impressive -- considering he played in just 12 games. Shazier had 87 tackles, 55 of which were solo tackles, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
If Shazier were able to stay on the field for an entire 16-game season, his stat line could be good enough to make the annual NFL All-Star game.
However, there lies the rub. Shazier certainly needs to stay healthy to make this happen, but he has taken strides every year since being drafted in 2014. One would think such a progression would continue in 2016, to the point where he doesn't just show his dominance with fans of the Steelers, but at a league-wide level too. So much so that he would make his first Pro Bowl of his career.
Why it won't happen: As noted above, it seems as if Shazier's only obstacle from becoming an NFL Pro Bowler is -- himself.
As a rookie starter, Shazier missed 9 games, followed by 4 in 2015. While Shazier should eventually learn how to take risks, and when to play a safer game to keep him on the field, Shazier doesn't always show such restraint. Playing at such break neck speeds has led to Shazier suffering injuries to his shoulder and his knee in his short time in the league.
Although staying healthy might be the biggest 'if' in this scenario, it doesn't seem likely Shazier is capable of such a task.
Prediction: Earlier this offseason we broke down how Shazier's style of play is very similar to Troy Polamalu, just at a different position. Polamalu had to learn how to keep himself as healthy as possible, without giving up the style of play which made him the player he was, and Shazier has to learn to do the same.
Playing inside linebacker in the league can be difficult for the bigger players like Lawrence Timmons, but Shazier needs to realize how him staying on the field can help not just himself reach the Pro Bowl, but also the team defense staying dominant. After Shazier on the depth chart is Vince Williams, a good player, but a far cry from Shazier, in terms of athleticism.
I feel Shazier is learning the tricks of the trade, and will be on the field for almost a 16-game season, possibly missing 1-2 games, but his explosive plays will still be enough for him to be named to his first Pro Bowl.