PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Starting every game he played since 2013, that’s 121 overall. First team All-Pro in 2015, 2016 and 2017. What are the Steelers losing after guard David DeCastro’s release? Who are options to start in his spot?
Pro Football Focus writer Steve Palazzolo told The PM Team on 93.7 The Fan Thursday that DeCastro declined in 2020. Had his worst year as a run blocker. However was still a top 10 caliber guard and one of the best pass blocking guards in the league since 2013.
“As good as David DeCastro is or as solid as he is, one player never moves the needle that much unless they are a quarterback or a Julio Jones level receiver,” Palazzolo told the Fan. “You have to look at the offensive line as a unit and you are trying to limit weaknesses along that offensive line.”
“It’s not complete gloom and doom. It’s another question that needs to be answered on Opening Day.”
So now every position on that offensive line will be new from last year’s Opening Day except for Zach Banner likely back at right tackle. Banner only lasted a few snaps against the Giants before a knee injury ended his season. So basically every member of the Steelers offensive line is different from 2020.
As Palazzolo said, it may not be ‘gloom and doom’ because they are looking to improve the line anyway. They have a couple of internal options.
Steelers signed Rashaad Coward, 26, from the Bears to a one year, $990,000 contract this offseason. The 6’5”, 326 pounder started 15 out of the 30 games he played for Chicago. Ten in 2019 and five in 2020, however the Chicago writers said he was the weak link on their line.
“He’s had over 1600 snaps of action that has all been pretty much below average play by our grades,” Palazzolo told 93.7 The Fan. “The Steelers believe in him, but he has not performed at an average level yet in the NFL.”
BJ Finney, 6’4”, 318 pounds, is back with the Steelers after a bad 2020 with the Seahawks and Bengals where he couldn’t recover from being out of shape in Seattle training camp. Palazzolo called Finney ‘an ok player’ and wondered if you trusted that with a 39-year-old quarterback.
There is the option of signing a free agent. Veteran Trai Turner visited the Steelers last week.
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It also brings up the question of whether the Steelers should have gone with an offensive lineman in the first or second round of the NFL Draft.
“It’s the danger of filling needs,” Palazzolo said. “Your needs literally change of a daily basis in the NFL. If you go in with ‘I only need to get this one position, that’s going to solve my life’. It doesn’t work that way because one day your center retires, you trade a guard or is released or retired. You run out of money and can’t sign a veteran. Your needs continue to change.”
We go back to it not necessarily being ‘gloom and doom’, but the margin for error now thinner after dumping DeCastro.
“Pittsburgh’s entire offensive line is ‘what if’,” Palazzolo said. “So what if Okorafor gets better. What if Zach Banner can become a good, solid starter. Same thing with Kevin Dotson, can he keep up what he’s doing.”
“The one guy you could kind of count on was DeCastro. It truly is five ‘what ifs’ up front. Could it all work out? Could everything break the Steelers way, of course.”
“It’s risky right now with what they are rolling with on the O-line.”