Looking ahead at the Steelers: offensive line

[hawaiiansteeler]

Looking ahead at the Steelers: offensive line

By Dale Lolley January 28, 2016

Despite losing Maurkice Pouncey and Kelvin Beachum, arguably its two most important players, for all but seven games this season, the Steelers’ offensive line was perhaps the strength of the team.

At the very least, the unit was the team’s best as a group on a week-to-week basis in 2015.

But with several key members ready to hit the free agent market, the Steelers are going to have some tough decisions to make moving forward if they want to keep this unit together.

Here’s a look at where the Steelers stand:

Guys under contract: G David DeCastro; RT Marcus Gilbert; C Maurkice Pouncey; T Alejandro Villanueva; C Cody Wallace; G Chris Hubbard.

There also is some flotsam and jetsam the team signed after the season, but six guys listed are locks to make the team with the exception of Hubbard. DeCastro, Gilbert and Pouncey are three starters next season and all carry a big price tag. Pouncey carries a cap hit of $10.5 million, DeCastro $8.07 million and Gilbert $6.46 million. That’s a lot of cash at one position and the Steelers will look to work out a long-term deal with DeCastro, who earned his first Pro Bowl nod this season and also was named an All-Pro. That could lower his cap hit slightly, but not a great deal.

Some have suggested cutting or trading Pouncey, but that’s highly unlikely to happen. Cutting or trading him would actually cost the Steelers money unless it was done with a June 1 designation. But the Steelers don’t need the cap space. A big part of his cap hit this year is because of a $3.5 million roster bonus, so the Steelers could do something with that to free up some cap space if needed.

Yes, Pouncey has missed 31 games in the past three seasons, but his injuries have been of the freakish variety. He’s still a key player on this team and if Ramon Foster leaves in free agency, Pouncey’s leadership will be crucial moving forward.

Many questioned a contract extension given to Gilbert two years ago, but his $6.4 million cap hit now looks very reasonable given his level of play.

Villanueva stepped in for Beachum when he suffered a season-ending ACL tear and performed well, but not to Beachum’s level. The team could decide to move forward with him at left tackle – and with a salary of $525,000, he would be a bargain – but he might better be served with being the swing guy for a season.

Wallace proved solid at center, prompting some of the speculation about Pouncey, and some have raised the prospect of starting him at guard to replace Foster. But he has struggled at guard in the past and should go back to his role as the backup guard/center.

Free agents: G Ramon Foster; T Kelvin Beachum; C Doug Legursky; T Mike Adams; T Byron Stingily; T Mitchell Van Dyk; T Kevin Palmer

There is some sentiment to re-sign Foster but the 30-year-old will likely get an offer in free agency the Steelers won’t be able or willing to match.

Beachum would have been one of the more coveted free agents to hit the market had he not suffered the ACL injury in October. Good, young left tackles don’t often hit the open market.

In that respect, the Steelers might have gotten fortunate. Beachum already was viewed as undersized – he was the NFL’s smallest starting left tackle – and the injury won’t help. The Steelers like his smarts and ability to play with great technique. He could be re-signed with the intention of moving him to guard to replace Foster with Villanueva staying at left tackle. Under that scenario, the Steelers could bring Adams back as the swing tackle.

Legursky won’t be needed any longer and the veteran likely will be allowed to move on. The Steelers could bring back the other three guys as training camp bodies.

Free agent targets: Brandon Brooks, Texans; Chris Chester, Falcons; Mike Harris, Vikings.

Yeah, not exactly a list of household names, but they’re all guards, so is that surprising. Brooks and Harris are up-and-comers who would be solid, young replacements for Foster. Chester, at 33, is a bit older, but could be a nice one- or two-year replacement while young player is groomed for the spot or to keep it warm. Remember, the Steelers have a long history of plugging in aging vets at left guard, from Duval Love to Will Wolford. But I think the plan will be resigning Beachum to play the spot if Foster leaves.

http://www.observer-reporter.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20160128/BLOGS08/160129553

[SteelersProfessor]

Despite losing Maurkice Pouncey and Kelvin Beachum, arguably its two most important players, for all but seven games this season, the Steelers’ offensive line was perhaps the strength of the team.

That's silly. Just Wex's errand boy following his boy's lead.

[Mojouw]

That's silly. Just Wex's errand boy following his boy's lead. [/COLOR]

Huh?

Lost a top LT and top C and the line was still in the top 3rd of the league. Seems like a fairly valid sentence to me...just interested to hear more of your thinking...

[SteelersProfessor]

And how many QB's left games hurt? Ben took a beating all year. Running game wasn't great, long runs inflated their totals, but they lacked consistency.

[Mojouw]

And how many QB's left games hurt? Ben took a beating all year. Running game wasn't great, long runs inflated their totals, but they lacked consistency.

Can't easily find a chart with pressures/hits, but this doesn't document a "beating" http://www.sportingcharts.com/nfl/stats/team-quarterback-sacked-per-game/2015/

As to the run game -- DWill had a shot at hitting 1,000 yards before he got hurt at the end. Who knows what 16 games of Bell would have produced. Gilbert didn't give up a sack until the last game or so. DeCastro made the Pro Bowl. Wallace was problematic, but he is a back-up. Foster was his usual up and down self, but more up than down considering he was playing next to the rawest LT in the league. Said LT looked pretty darn good considering his experience level. I mean the line could have (and arguably should have) looked more like the Pats line from last week than the top 10 unit they ended up being.

I'll grant that the running game could have been better. Weirdly enough, this group seems to be better pass blockers than they are run blockers. But still...

[hawaiiansteeler]

PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS TOP 10 OFFENSIVE LINE FREE AGENTS

by MATT CLAASSEN

With the offseason underway for all but the final two teams, we are beginning to look ahead to free agency. Emphasis on offensive line performance has grown the last few years, particularly in pass protection as the league continues to evolve into a pass-heavy league and college players continue to run spread-heavy offenses. We are taking into account more than just each player’s 2015 grade, but also previous seasons, age, skill-sets, among other aspects, to give you the top 10 free agent offensive linemen of 2016.

(Editor’s note: Each players’ overall season grade for only 2015 is noted next to his name; grades fall within PFF’s new 1–100 scale.)

1. Cordy Glenn, OT (85.0)
2015 team: Buffalo Bills

Cordy Glenn is not a name that gets mentioned when discussing the best offensive tackles in the game, but he has had four solid years as a starter and has been the only consistent Bills’ offensive linemen over that span. Outside of a poor performance in Buffalo’s season finale against the Jets, Glenn had the best season of his short career. He graded as the ninth-best tackle in the league, and seventh in pass protection, where he allowed just two sacks and two hits all season.

2. Kelechi Osemele, G/OT (79.6)
2015 team: Baltimore Ravens

In his first full and healthy season at guard in 2014, Osemele had a breakout year that put him among the best left guards in the league. His strength is in the run game, but that doesn’t diminish his success as a pass protector. Over the past two regular seasons, Osemele has had just two below average games as a pass blocker—one of which came while playing tackle—and he’s averaged fewer than one pressure allowed per game when at guard. And while Osemele is best-suited to play guard, he offers proven positional versatility that none of the other top offensive line free agents can provide by being capable of playing either tackle position if needed.

3. Kelvin Beachum, OT (79.4)
2015 team: Pittsburgh Steelers

If not for his torn ACL, Beachum might have been even higher on this list. The former seventh-round pick was the fifth-highest graded tackle in 2014. He allowed just 19 total pressures on 687 snaps in pass protection, and his pass blocking efficiency of 97.5 ranked third among tackles that season. He was a bit more up and down during his brief stint in 2015, but still earned a good pass-blocking grade and an average run-block grade. The ACL injury is a concern, but his upside when healthy is as good as any of the free agents, and he’s still just 27 years old.

4. Mitchell Schwartz, OT (86.6)
2015 team: Cleveland Browns

Schwartz may have been snubbed from Sunday’s Pro Bowl, but he played well enough to earn our second-team All-Pro spot at right tackle. Although he did allow 43 total pressures this season, he also was tied for the most snaps in pass protection with a whopping 705; by comparison, only 15 tackles had more than 600 pass-block snaps. Schwartz has earned a positive overall grade in all four seasons, and is coming off the best season of his career. In addition, Schwartz has not missed a single snap out of 4,427 over his four years in the league.

to read rest of article:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/01/27/pro-top-10-offensive-line-free-agents/

[hawaiiansteeler]

Pittsburgh Steelers:

2/17: The Steelers will allow Kelvin Beachum to test the market. - Jeremy Fowler, ESPN

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert on Kelvin Beachum: "We'll see where the market goes.

http://www.walterfootball.com/nflrumors/freeagency

[teegre]

So...

A) Re-sign Foster?
...or...
B) Draft a Joshua Garnett in R2?

[ALLD]

So...

A) Re-sign Foster?
...or...
B) Draft a Joshua Garnett in R2?

Sign Foster and hope AV can start.

[steelreserve]

Foster didn't do anything last season that seems like it would warrant more money than he's already making. Re-sign him and draft a guy for depth, but not highly.

Beachum is as good as gone, and that may be a blessing in disguise for us depending on his injury situation. Could be his old self, could be Willie Colon 2.0. No way at all of knowing, and since we have someone else who can play the position, I'm fine with not rolling the dice on it.

[hawaiiansteeler]

Dale Lolley ‏@dlolleyor

Stanford's Josh Garnett would be nice pick after first round 4 #Steelers. Tough guard. Wants to be trauma surgeon after FB. Great interview

Best comment from Garnett was when he said he wants to "run through the soul" of defenders at the second level. I'm sure that hurts

https://twitter.com/dlolleyor?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7 Ctwgr%5Eauthor

[hawaiiansteeler]

Mike Tomlin and Steelers staff attend Ohio State Pro Day, meet with tackle Taylor Decker

By Jeff.Hartman on Mar 11, 201

https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uZQQaQ52HttsVskRdtW47QTxTDM=/0x0:3188x2125/709x473/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49052581/usa-today-9030149.0.jpg

The Pittsburgh Steelers brass continues its cross-country trek visiting Pro Days, and the latest University on the list was none other than Ohio State.

There is no secret about the Pittsburgh Steelers affection for the Ohio State University. The team has used the school as a variable minor league system for the past decade or so, drafting a number of top draft picks from the Buckeyes. With that being said, it should come as a shock to no one that Mike Tomlin and the Steelers staff were in attendance at the Ohio State Pro Day to scout some of the best talent in NCAA football.

Coming off a trip to Clemson for their Pro Day, the Steelers reportedly had a more formal sit down meeting with offensive tackle Taylor Decker while they were on campus.

The Steelers will likely be looking for a tackle in the upcoming draft, especially with the team not sure of Kelvin Beachum's future with the organization. They were rumored to have offered him a one-year contract, but other teams, like the Baltimore Ravens, have shown interest in the starting left tackle.

Decker is slotted to be a late first round, or early second round talent, and his pedigree is certainly one of the NFL caliber. The Steelers likely won't look at an offensive tackle in the first round, not with their many glaring needs on the defensive side of the ball, but these more personal meetings and interviews shine a light on the prospects they like, as well as positions they covet out of the upcoming NFL Draft.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2016-nfl-mock-drafts-profiles-video-clips-highlights-steelers-analysis-breakdowns-news/2016/3/11/11205290/mike-tomlin-and-steelers-staff-attend-ohio-state-pro-day-meet-with

[hawaiiansteeler]

Interest In OT Market Suggests Steelers Not Convinced With Villanueva

BY MATTHEW MARCZI MARCH 13, 2016

The Pittsburgh Steelers tried to get a long-term deal done with Kelvin Beachum during the 2015 offseason, but the two sides were unable to work out a deal. Beachum was working from a position of strength, as it seemed the Steelers had no other options.

A year and a torn ACL later, the team is still reportedly trying to bring Beachum back, at least for a one-year prove-it sort of deal, even though they managed to get 12 starts, including the playoffs, out of Alejandro Villanueva at left tackle, during which he managed to look not totally lost in spite of his utter lack of NFL experience.

And now, we learn that the Steelers are seeking visits from free agent tackles Russell Okung and Ryan Harris, two players who do not appear to be in the market to accept a backup’s salary on the open market—at least not nearly this early in the free agency period.

Given their continued pursuit of Beachum and the targeting of a couple of veteran starting offensive tackles, it would certainly appear as though the team is not nearly as convinced about Villanueva’s future growth potential as many have led themselves to believe.

Villanueva, a decorated Army Ranger, attended university at Army, where he spent four years on the football field, though only two of them came as a tackle. He played wide receiver during his senior season, and after failing to catch interest in the NFL, pursued his career in the military, during which he served three tours of duty.

Interspersed between those tours were additional attempts to find a home on an NFL roster, but it wasn’t until the Eagles kicked his tires as a defensive end in 2014 that he was shown any interest. He did not make the roster, but the Steelers signed him to the practice squad as a tackle.

A year later, he was set up, in part due to injury, as the team’s swing tackle after doing pretty well in the preseason, but they were not counting on him being thrust into the starting lineup six games into the season. And it doesn’t seem as though they’re counting on him continuing that starting role just yet.

Given his history, Villanueva is an easy individual to root for, but one would be doing a disservice to the team to choose to overlook the flaws in his performance on the field. Frankly, while I would not object to the idea of keeping him in the starting lineup, I don’t believe that I have seen his play as favorably as others have.

Of particular note has been his lackluster showing as a run blocker in spite of his massive size. His 6’9” frame has also been a hindrance in winning the leverage battle against more skilled pass rushers, and had led to a handful of the sacks that he surrendered last year.

He no doubt showed improvement over the course of the season, and would figure to continue to show growth into the following season—even if he is already 27—but right now, unless they expect to find Okung for depth, which I doubt, it seems that the Steelers are exploring their options to see if they can find something that is a bit more of a sure thing to protect their franchise quarterback’s blindside. At the very least, it doesn’t seem they want to hand him the starting job.

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2016/03/in ... illanueva/

[zulater]

Interest In OT Market Suggests Steelers Not Convinced With Villanueva

BY MATTHEW MARCZI MARCH 13, 2016

The Pittsburgh Steelers tried to get a long-term deal done with Kelvin Beachum during the 2015 offseason, but the two sides were unable to work out a deal. Beachum was working from a position of strength, as it seemed the Steelers had no other options.

A year and a torn ACL later, the team is still reportedly trying to bring Beachum back, at least for a one-year prove-it sort of deal, even though they managed to get 12 starts, including the playoffs, out of Alejandro Villanueva at left tackle, during which he managed to look not totally lost in spite of his utter lack of NFL experience.

And now, we learn that the Steelers are seeking visits from free agent tackles Russell Okung and Ryan Harris, two players who do not appear to be in the market to accept a backup’s salary on the open market—at least not nearly this early in the free agency period.

Given their continued pursuit of Beachum and the targeting of a couple of veteran starting offensive tackles, it would certainly appear as though the team is not nearly as convinced about Villanueva’s future growth potential as many have led themselves to believe.

Villanueva, a decorated Army Ranger, attended university at Army, where he spent four years on the football field, though only two of them came as a tackle. He played wide receiver during his senior season, and after failing to catch interest in the NFL, pursued his career in the military, during which he served three tours of duty.

Interspersed between those tours were additional attempts to find a home on an NFL roster, but it wasn’t until the Eagles kicked his tires as a defensive end in 2014 that he was shown any interest. He did not make the roster, but the Steelers signed him to the practice squad as a tackle.

A year later, he was set up, in part due to injury, as the team’s swing tackle after doing pretty well in the preseason, but they were not counting on him being thrust into the starting lineup six games into the season. And it doesn’t seem as though they’re counting on him continuing that starting role just yet.

Given his history, Villanueva is an easy individual to root for, but one would be doing a disservice to the team to choose to overlook the flaws in his performance on the field. Frankly, while I would not object to the idea of keeping him in the starting lineup, I don’t believe that I have seen his play as favorably as others have.

Of particular note has been his lackluster showing as a run blocker in spite of his massive size. His 6’9” frame has also been a hindrance in winning the leverage battle against more skilled pass rushers, and had led to a handful of the sacks that he surrendered last year.

He no doubt showed improvement over the course of the season, and would figure to continue to show growth into the following season—even if he is already 27—but right now, unless they expect to find Okung for depth, which I doubt, it seems that the Steelers are exploring their options to see if they can find something that is a bit more of a sure thing to protect their franchise quarterback’s blindside. At the very least, it doesn’t seem they want to hand him the starting job.

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2016/03/in ... illanueva/

I'm a lot higher on AV than most it seems. Perhaps I'm wrong, but it seems to me that the Steelers did a pretty good job keeping the Broncos pass rush in check in both our games against them. Now I know there were times a back or a tight end, or another lineman might have helped AV with his assignment, but there also plenty of times he was out there on the island so to speak. I watched these games more than once and run plays over and over paying particular attention to plays that break down and trying to find the cause. And there weren't many times when I came away thinking that AV was the cause of things going awry. Yeah there's times you can see him struggling with his footwork, or that he's late with his punch, no doubt there was a lot of OJT going on last season. But I really think there's a high upside on this guy, you could see it carrying over from series to series where he would really effectively shut down his guy for most of the game. Watching the Raiders game from last year and comparing his play to the Broncos and Bengals playoff game and you can see where AV has really come along as a run blocker. Remember this guy is an infant when it comes to experience as a tackle. He was a tight end in college and the Eagles were trying him as a defensive end. So you really could see a much better player next season from the standpoint of technique and fundamentals. Make no mistake this guy is much smarter than your average NFL player. You don't make it through West Point and become an Army Ranger unless you've got some serious grey matter between your ears.

[86WARD]

I think I pointed it out several times during and immediately following the Broncos playoff game...AV handled that pass rush like an All-Pro. Probably his best game of the season...