Steelers can be 'best offensive line in the NFL,' Marcus Gilbert says

[hawaiiansteeler]

Steelers can be 'best offensive line in the NFL,' Marcus Gilbert says

Jeremy Fowler, ESPN Senior NFL Writer

PITTSBURGH -- For the Steelers’ offense to truly take off, for the Todd Haley experiment to live in Pittsburgh football folklore, the offensive line needs to stay together.

Kelvin Beachum, Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro and Marcus Gilbert were healthy last year, and the results were impressive. Ben Roethlisberger produced a career-best 4,952 passing yards and a decade-low 33 sacks. Le’Veon Bell was second in the NFL in rushing. After knee injuries to Pouncey and DeCastro forced too much lineup shuffling in 2012 and 2013, continuity proved invaluable for the Steelers’ offense.

But the Steelers’ have loftier goals, which will require money. Pouncey said he's eyeing a top 10 rushing offense after finishing 16th last year. Gilbert wants more than that.

“With these years playing with each other, we should be the best offensive line in the NFL,” said Gilbert, who cites the accountability of players "keeping it 100" with one another as big reasons why.

Now back to the money part, which is unavoidable for this group. As the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Mark Kaboly points out, the Steelers just gave Pouncey and Gilbert a combined $74 million in potential down-the-road earnings and designated an $8 million option for DeCastro. A long-term deal for DeCastro, which is possible, would put him around $7 million a year based on the average of the top 10 highest-salaried guards.

That leaves Beachum, considered an ascending tackle because of his mobility, and Foster, who’s started for much of his six-year career, as free agents.

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[tube517]

Says the guy who trips over himself and injures people.

[86WARD]

Over he past two years and with the addition of Munchak, they are heading in the right direction. Not sure they will be better than the Cowboys O-Line...but they are closing the gap?

[hawaiiansteeler]

[GBMelBlount]

Pouncey said he's eyeing a top 10 rushing offense after finishing 16th last year.

Seems like it may be hard to gain that many more yards on the ground when you are putting up 5,000 in the air and already averaging close to 5 ypc.

[Count Steeler]

Seems like it may be hard to gain that many more yards on the ground when you are putting up 5,000 in the air and already averaging close to 5 ypc.

Maybe they are going to try and run it 12 straight times every game. Remember 2nd game against Cleveland?