PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan)- Maurkice Pouncey's retirement leave us a giant hole right in the middle of the Steelers offense for the 2021 season and beyond.
The Fan Morning Show talked about ways to replace him Tuesday morning and how the Steelers should go about doing so.
The need to add on the offensive line was already there before Pouncey's retirement given its drop off in performance last season, but now that Pouncey is gone, too? How does it change things? The Steelers have a few options here; one is to stick with what's on the roster with JC Hassenauer.
Another is to look in the free agent market. Yet another is to look at this April's NFL Draft, and particularly early in the draft, to get their guy.
"I have no idea what they're going to do here, but I do know the organization values the heck out of the position," said Colin Dunlap.
"There was like a 2 or 3-year gap between really good centers because Jeff Hartings was really good. They do place a premium on it, Pouncey made it even more of a premium be the versatility that he showed based as soon as he set foot on the field at Saint Vincent College. But there isn't a position on the offensive line that the Steelers can't use in the draft. They have needs at pretty much every position on the football field.
I wouldn't be surprised if they used that first round pick on a center. I'd have to see who's there when their turn comes but I wouldn't have a problem if the Steelers went offensive line, offensive line in rounds 1 and 2."
Chris Mack added to that point saying: "I don't think there's a Steelers fan alive, that if they take two offensive linemen in their first 3 picks, is going to have a problem with it. I don't care if that's two interior linemen, if that's a center and a tackle, however you want to arrange it. If they take two offensive linemen in their first three picks, I'm totally fine with that."
Is it true that the Steelers are dead in the water without an offensive line and that's what needs to be fixed?
"I wrestle with that. And then I watch the Super Bowl and I go, 'Get a hold of yourself!' You can't fake it along the offensive line or you're doomed. You can't get to the ultimate place without good offensive line play.
If they do go center, Landon Dickerson (Alabama) seems to be the #1 graded center, there's a better chance than not that he's going to be available. So if he's the #1 center and he's available there, there's a good chance they're going to get the best center out of college at their pick. I don't outthink myself. It doesn't matter what year it is. If someone says to me, 'You can have college football's best center late in the 1st round and you need a center, is that what you want?' I say yes and I go without it and take my chances every year, every single year."
Would a double up on offensive line make sense to you early in the draft?
