Steelers sign Starks
The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed one of their former players, Max Starks, to help fix their horrid offensive line.
Starks spent 7 years with the Steelers, and has experience playing both the right and left tackle positions. Starks had started in 79 games for the Steelers before being cut before this year’s training camp.
Starks sustained a neck injury in 2010 that forced him to miss the second half of the season. The injury also prevented him from working out. So when Starks reported for training camp, he was out of shape, and weighed over 400 lbs. The Steelers released him immediately, without even allowing him to try to work himself into shape during training camp.
Since that time, Starks has been working out, and has lost over 60 lbs. He’s now closer to his listed weight of 345 lbs., but it’s unclear how good his cardio is.
I suppose the Steelers felt anything is better than what they’ve been getting from their offensive line. Frankly, I wouldn’t have been surprised if they had made calls to Tunch Ilkin, Jon Kolb, Craig Wolfley, or Larry Brown. Any of them could probably do better than what the Steelers have been getting from their current offensive linemen.
Interestingly, the Steelers have not re-signed Flozell Adams. Aside from Maurkice Pouncey, Adams was probably their most consistent offensive lineman last year. The Steelers released Adams when Willie Colon returned from his injury because Adams wasn’t willing to take a pay cut to serve as a backup. But the way the Steelers offensive line has been playing, Adams would be a welcome addition.
To make room for Starks, the Steelers waived Chris Scott. Scott rarely makes it onto the field anyway, so that’s no great loss.
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Presumably, Flozell still wants too much money. They approached him and not Starks in September but Adams was scheduled to earn $5 million and presumably could not be talked down from that (or didn’t want to be behind Colon on the roster).
1Anything has to be better than Johnathon Scott. I’ll give Gilbert the benefit of the doubt, being a rookie with terrible guards around him. Seriously, when are the Steelers going to realize kemoeatu can’t pass block? He’s a monster run blocker, but the Steelers are a passing team now.
2