AtlantaDan
01-01-2019, 09:07 AM
P-G story on how the team that has been together for the recent playoff run inevitably is breaking up
The most change could be coming for the offensive line, which went through an almost unprecedented period of stability in recent years....
The five starters have been together since the middle of the 2015 season. That’s 3½ seasons of five linemen playing together. It’s nearly unheard of in the free-agency era of the NFL.
Left guard Ramon Foster and center Maurkice Pouncey have been playing together since 2010. Right tackle Marcus Gilbert arrived in 2011 and right guard David DeCastro in 2012. The final piece, Alejandro Villanueva, joined the group midway through the 2015 season after Kelvin Beachum was injured.
Foster just played out the final season of a three-year contract....
Gilbert will turn 31 in February. He has one more year remaining on his contract....
The Steelers can save $4.9 million on their 2019 salary cap by releasing Gilbert.
https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2018/12/31/mike-munchak-coaching-carousel-steelers-offensive-line/stories/201812310111
IMO Foster is gone, but if Mike Munchak gets a HC job that might save Gilbert (assuming the Steelers do not believe he is broken down without access to PEDs and simply cannot play anymore). Although Feiler played adequately he probably is not regarded as Gilbert's long term replacement and breaking in Okorafor at right tackle along with a new starting left guard under a new OL coach is a lot of change to process simultaneously
The most change could be coming for the offensive line, which went through an almost unprecedented period of stability in recent years....
The five starters have been together since the middle of the 2015 season. That’s 3½ seasons of five linemen playing together. It’s nearly unheard of in the free-agency era of the NFL.
Left guard Ramon Foster and center Maurkice Pouncey have been playing together since 2010. Right tackle Marcus Gilbert arrived in 2011 and right guard David DeCastro in 2012. The final piece, Alejandro Villanueva, joined the group midway through the 2015 season after Kelvin Beachum was injured.
Foster just played out the final season of a three-year contract....
Gilbert will turn 31 in February. He has one more year remaining on his contract....
The Steelers can save $4.9 million on their 2019 salary cap by releasing Gilbert.
https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2018/12/31/mike-munchak-coaching-carousel-steelers-offensive-line/stories/201812310111
IMO Foster is gone, but if Mike Munchak gets a HC job that might save Gilbert (assuming the Steelers do not believe he is broken down without access to PEDs and simply cannot play anymore). Although Feiler played adequately he probably is not regarded as Gilbert's long term replacement and breaking in Okorafor at right tackle along with a new starting left guard under a new OL coach is a lot of change to process simultaneously