Bostic aims to hold one of two starting positions at inside LB

the regular season begins. And he is eager to show everybody, including his coaches, what he is capable of doing.

“I’m a three-down backer; it’s tough to find those nowadays,” Bostic said Tuesday after his first time on the practice field with his new teammates. “I’m a backer that can play either spot, I can play middle, I can play Will, it really doesn’t matter to me. I’ve done that throughout my career. I’m a bigger guy who can run. And I can cover as well. A lot of people don’t know that.”

That’s what the Steelers found intriguing, and why they made Bostic (6 feet 1, 245 pounds) and safety Morgan Burnett their biggest acquisitions in free agency.

And yet, with those self-acclaimed credentials on his side, Bostic has led something of a nomadic life in the NFL. The Steelers are his fifth team in six years since he was a secondround draft choice in 2013 out of Florida, where he played with Maurkice Pouncey, Marcus Gilbert and Joe Haden.

His longest stint was two years with the Chicago Bears. Then it was one-anddone with the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts in 2017. Injuries to his hip, ankle and knees were the problem. He has missed 26 games since entering the league, including the entire 2016 season with the Lions because of a fractured foot.

He managed to play the first 14 games last season with the Colts, registering a career-high 97 tackles, before injuring his knee and being placed on injured reserve.

“To be honest, I got caught up in a trade and I got hurt once,” Bostic said, explaining his bounce around the league. “Last year, I got back on my feet and had a good year. Now, it’s another year to build on.

“But I was put through the trades and whatnot for a reason. I learned a lot. It enabled me to meet a lot of different people, be exposed to a lot of different schemes. I bring that to the table, being able to play so many different fronts, so many different schemes.”

Bostic, 27, was not used with the first-team defense Tuesday and he said it was because he’s learning the new guys around him. The Steelers did not invest a lot of money in Bostic but enough to indicate they prefer him as an alternative to Matakevich to play next to Williams. At least for now.

“I’m excited to get on field, definitely getting some rust off, learning a new playbook,” Bostic said. “But learning has never been a problem for me. It’s just a matter of getting reps and learning the guys around me. The scheme is almost exactly like we used in Indy. All these different things I definitely can being to the team and help the team. Whenever my number is called, I’ll be ready.”

There is a business side to Bostic, as well. A native of Mims, Fla., he has become involved in real estate in Cocoa Beach, owning 10 single-family homes and renting them for income.

The idea is to set himself up for life after football.

For now, the landlord would like to own a space in the middle of the Steelers defense.

“I’m looking to add more homes,” Bostic said.

“Let’s get that stuff started now.”