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I've learned to think of linebackers these days as "off ball" and "edge", pretty much being translations of inside and outside linebackers, but with some nuance.
I think the difference between 3-4 and 4-3 formations has somewhat disappeared, because we often see even two-man lines. So now you've got a bunch of guys who are bigger and they may be on the line or they may be off the line, but their job is mostly to get into the backfield. They're pass rushers on passing downs and they stand the line on rushing downs, basically the same as an old school 4-3 DE or 3-4 OLB. They're just both nowadays.
I see "off ball" linebackers as guys who aren't as big as the edge players. They're typically behind the linemen and edge guys, and they're covering the short pass routes, getting out to the edges, and shooting gaps on running plays. Their job is to make tackles and break up passes rather than rushing the passer. They're more like a traditional old-school middle linebacker, but they're playing anywhere inside or outside.
Bolton and Gay are quintessential off-ball linebackers according to this definition. They're fast sideline to sideline players. Guys like Dee Ford and Justin Houston were edge players. Chenal is probably an edge, though he's kind of unclassifiable: 40 percent DL, 40 percent off ball, 20 percent edge.
I actually kind of like the fact that defenses aren't set formations any more. It's just the best 11 guys for the situation.
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