hawaiiansteeler
05-15-2016, 05:00 PM
McCullers vs. Hargrave at NT should be interesting for Steelers
ByAndrew Watkins
Posted on May 15, 2016
The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t lose any truly marquee free agents this offseason, but they did part with some valuable contributors that’ll need replacing. Alejandro Villanueva and Ryan Harris will compete to man Kelvin Beachum’s vacated left tackle spot. Ross Cockrell, Senquez Golsen and Artie Burns will all jockey to replace the, mercifully, departed Antwon Blake.
Another position that will be manned by, well, a new man in 2016 is that of nose tackle. Steve McLendon, who you’ll recall once replaced Casey Hampton, inked a deal with the New York Jets after three seasons anchoring Pittsburgh’s interior. Fans often lobbied for McLendon to be replaced simply because he wasn’t Hampton. That said, it’s important to note that McLendon was a key part of three top-12 run defenses.
All the same, McLendon played in just 34 percent of the Steelers’ defensive snaps. Allocating $3.5 million annually, as the Jets did, to a guy who plays one of every three snaps simply didn’t seem a wise investment for the often cash-strapped Steelers. While Pittsburgh spends a lot of time playing out of six-man fronts with five defensive backs, it’ll need someone to step up for McLendon when it wants to play big up front.
That battle to determine who will start at NT should come down to a third-year pro in Daniel McCullers and a newbie on Pittsburgh’s roster in Javon Hargrave.
to read rest of article:
http://www.todayspigskin.com/pittsburgh-steelers/mccullers-vs-hargrave-nt-interesting-steelers/
ByAndrew Watkins
Posted on May 15, 2016
The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t lose any truly marquee free agents this offseason, but they did part with some valuable contributors that’ll need replacing. Alejandro Villanueva and Ryan Harris will compete to man Kelvin Beachum’s vacated left tackle spot. Ross Cockrell, Senquez Golsen and Artie Burns will all jockey to replace the, mercifully, departed Antwon Blake.
Another position that will be manned by, well, a new man in 2016 is that of nose tackle. Steve McLendon, who you’ll recall once replaced Casey Hampton, inked a deal with the New York Jets after three seasons anchoring Pittsburgh’s interior. Fans often lobbied for McLendon to be replaced simply because he wasn’t Hampton. That said, it’s important to note that McLendon was a key part of three top-12 run defenses.
All the same, McLendon played in just 34 percent of the Steelers’ defensive snaps. Allocating $3.5 million annually, as the Jets did, to a guy who plays one of every three snaps simply didn’t seem a wise investment for the often cash-strapped Steelers. While Pittsburgh spends a lot of time playing out of six-man fronts with five defensive backs, it’ll need someone to step up for McLendon when it wants to play big up front.
That battle to determine who will start at NT should come down to a third-year pro in Daniel McCullers and a newbie on Pittsburgh’s roster in Javon Hargrave.
to read rest of article:
http://www.todayspigskin.com/pittsburgh-steelers/mccullers-vs-hargrave-nt-interesting-steelers/