Steelers Today – A Pittsburgh Steelers blog

Grading an offensive line is always a difficult task.  To do it fairly, we need to know each offensive lineman’s assignment on each individual play.  But we don’t have that information.  So we have to do a bit of speculating, and that’s inherently unfair.

But having said that, we need to evaluate the performance of the Steelers offensive line this past season, so here we go.

The first thing that I should point out is that the Steelers ranked 26th in the NFL in rushing.  Is that the fault of the offensive line, or the running backs?  Or both?  If you say that it’s the fault of the offensive line, then our offensive line had a terrible season.

But on the other hand, Ben Roethlisberger was only sacked 30 times this season.  That’s the second lowest sack total of Roethlisberger’s career.  So perhaps the offensive line didn’t do so badly.

Frankly, I don’t think it’s meaningful to look at macro-statistics like that.  I think you really have to look at each offensive lineman individually.  So let’s start with…….

Max Starks
Big Max was the only Steelers offensive lineman who started all 16 games this season.  That’s a pretty impressive statistic for a lineman whom the Steelers have been trying to get rid of for years.  Frankly, other than Ramon Foster, I’m not sure that any Steelers offensive lineman has more reason to feel unloved than Max Starks.

Max Starks will never be confused with Joe Thomas.  He’s not a premier left tackle.  But he does an acceptable job.  I’ve always been a supporter of Max, although at times I think he’s often been paid more than he was worth.  But that’s on the Steelers, not Max.

Now Max is an unrestricted free agent, and I doubt that he’ll be back.  The rumor is that the Steelers are going to move to a zone blocking scheme, and that really doesn’t fit Max’s strengths.  So goodbye, Max.  Thanks for 9 good years.

 Ramon Foster
As I mentioned above, Ramon Foster may be the only lineman who should feel more unloved than Max Starks.  It seems as though each of Foster’s 4 seasons with the Steelers has been like deja vu.  The Steelers always try to find someone else to start at guard, but Foster always seems to end up as a starter.  And 2012 was no different.

Like Max Starks, Ramon Foster will never be confused with a Pro Bowl caliber player.  But also like Starks, Foster was one of the most consistent offensive linemen the Steelers had.  He always worked hard, and he was there when the Steelers had exhausted all other options (and believe me, they always exhausted every possible option before settling on Foster).  He never complained, and he did his job reasonably well.

Foster is also an unrestricted free agent who doesn’t appear to fit well in a zone blocking scheme.  He’s never been particularly mobile.  So he’s probably seen his last days as a Pittsburgh Steeler.  So long, Ramon.

Willie Colon
In my opinion, Willie Colon is the biggest question mark on the Steelers offensive line.  He’s under contract for one more season, but the question is, “should the Steelers bring him back?”

When he’s healthy, Steelers coaches have always said that Colon is one of their best offensive linemen.  Unfortunately, Colon has had a difficult time remaining healthy.  He missed 15 games in 2011, and another 5 games in 2012.  That’s a lot of missed time at a position where consistency is key.

Colon actually played well last season when the team moved him to guard.  But like Starks and Foster, he’s better in a man-to-man blocking scheme.  He’s a traditional “road grader”.  So despite having Colon under contract, the Steelers may choose to let him go to free up more salary cap space.

Because the Steelers will likely lose Starks and Foster to free agency, I don’t think they can afford to also lose Willie Colon.  He brings experience and position flexibility that the Steelers are going to need until Marcus Gilbert and Mike Adams prove that they can be mentally and physically reliable.

Maurkice Pouncey
Pouncey is the Steelers’ resident offensive line superstar.  He’s viewed by many to be the best in the NFL at his position.  So there’s not much that we need to say about him.

My only concern with Pouncey is that he always seems to get hurt at the most inopportune times.  But other than that, I hope he remains a Steeler for life.

David DeCastro
We all know what DeCastro was expected to be when the Steelers drafted him.  Unfortunately, that’s not what he delivered on the field.  Not because he wasn’t capable of doing so, but because he got injured before the season even started.

DeCastro missed 12 games with an injury, so his rookie season has to be considered a mulligan.  However, he does have the mobility that the Steelers will probably look for in a zone blocking scheme.  So I’m very optimistic about DeCastro’s future.

Marcus Gilbert
Marcus Gilbert is turning into the new Willie Colon; he’s solid when he’s healthy, but he’s almost never healthy.

Gilbert missed 11 games in 2012 due to injury.  He also missed 2 games due to injury during his rookie season.

If he can stay healthy, Gilbert is the leading candidate to be the Steelers’ starting left tackle next season.  But staying healthy hasn’t proven to be an easy task for Gilbert.

Mike Adams
Rather than write a review for Mike Adams, it might be easier to just write “See Marcus Gilbert”.

Like Gilbert, Adams was drafted with hopes that he might even win a starting job in his rookie season.  But Adams struggled mentally, and then succumbed to injury (sound familiar?).

Adams was actually named the Steelers’ rookie of the year in 2012, but that’s mostly because they got so little from their rookies, that Adams won by default.

I’m going to give Adams a mulligan on his rookie season.  But I expect to see much better production (and health) from him in 2013.

Kelvin Beachum

When the Steelers announced their draft picks last year, few expected 7th round pick Kelvin Beachum to make the team.  And I’m sure nobody expected him to have a better season than David DeCastro or Mike Adams.  But that’s actually what happened.

Beachum was healthy, played multiple positions, and started the last 5 games of the season.  That’s not bad for a 7th round draft pick.

Doug Legursky
Legursky is a Steelers success story.  He joined the team in 2009 as an undrafted rookie, and he went on to make the roster in each of his 4 seasons with the team.  He has 17 starts during that time.

But Legursky’s key strength was his position flexibility, and the Steelers now have that from the younger (and cheaper) Kelvin Beachum.

Legursky is an unrestricted free agent this year, and I don’t expect to see him back next season.

John Malecki
Most fans are probably saying, “Who?”

Malecki had no playing time to evaluate, so he gets a pass.  The only reason that he’s even worth mentioning is that his presence (along with Kelvin Beachum’s) likely makes Doug Legursky expendable.

So to summarize, the Steelers offense has the potential to be strong in 2013.  Marcus Gilbert, Willie Colon, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, and Mike Adams would be a very solid line.  The problem is that each one of them is an injury risk.  So 2013 has a very high likelihood of looking like 2012….And 2011……And 2010…..And 2009.  The offensive line may struggle with inconsistency, not because they lack solid players, but because those players can’t stay healthy.  Consistency is critical for offensive lines, and the Steelers can never seem to find it.

Perhaps what the Steelers should be looking for in the 1st round of this year’s draft is a new trainer.  Somebody has to keep these players healthy.  That will help the team far more than a rookie running back, outside linebacker, or wide receiver can.

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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&$^#@%$#!!!!!!!!!

That was the sound heard coming from the Steelers coaches’ offices when they got the news that left tackle Max Starks was going to be lost for the season.

As if things weren’t already bad enough for the Steelers offensive line, they now lose their left tackle; possibly the most important position on the offensive line.

The Steelers are already without right tackle Willie Colon, who was injured this summer.  The Steelers had to sign Flozell (the human penalty) Adams to replace Colon.

During Monday Night’s game in Cincinnati, the Steelers offensive line was decimated with injuries.  Not only did Starks suffer a season-ending injury, but rookie center Maurkice Poucey missed some action with an injury (though he came back later in the game), as did left guard Chris Kemoeatu.

So if we go from left to right on the Steelers offensive line, Max Starks is now lost for the season.  Chris Kemoeatu is hurt and is questionable for Sunday.  Maurkice Pouncey should be ready to play on Sunday.  Trai Essex is hurt, and Doug Legursky has been playing in his stead.  And Willie Colon is out for the season, and Flozell Adams has been playing in his spot.  Is this offensive line cursed or what?

Starks suffered a disc injury in his neck that will require surgery.  He is expected to return for the 2011 season.

In an effort to replace Starks, the Steelers have activated rookie tackle Chris Scott from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.  Scott broke his foot this summer and has been inactive all season.

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August 25, 2009
By John DeWald

This is Part 9 in a series.  If you haven’t read the previous installments, please click below:

Part 1:  Defensive linemen

Part 2:  Linebackers

Part 3:  Safeties

Part 4: Cornerbacks

Part 5: Quarterbacks

Part 6: Running backs

Part 7: Wide receivers

Part 8: Tight ends

And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for – the offensive line.   Regardless of what Bruce Arians might think, the offensive line did not have a good year in 2008.  During the off-season, they lost their best (although often injured) lineman in Marvell Smith, as well as Kendall Simmons.  The incumbent starters entering training camp are (from left to right) Starks, Kemoeatu, Hartwig, Stapleton, and Colon.   Added to this are 9 other veterans, rookies, and practice squad players.  Last year the Steelers carried 9 linemen on the active roster and, in all likelihood, they will do the same this year.  So, we are looking at 14 players fighting for 9 spots on the 53-man roster.

Although the line is a much maligned unit, there is ample reason for hope.   Once the current line was in place, they steadily improved throughout the year.  Continuity is very important in line-play, so with an off-season and training camp under their belts, the Steelers obviously hope their play will continue to improve (otherwise they wouldn’t have spent so much money keeping them).  The Steelers would also like to see some of the young backups step up and push the starters.  Without further ado, here are the prospective linemen.

Max Starks – The starting left tackle was a bit of a joke at the start of last season when, as the transition player, he couldn’t even crack the starting lineup.  He more than proved his worth, however, when Marvell Smith went down with back problems.  Starks stepped in and played solid for the rest of the year.  This off-season the Steelers were so thin at tackle (all 4 tackles were either restricted or unrestricted free agents) that he was designated as the franchise player.  Most thought that this would actually act as an impediment to a long term contract since he was guaranteed $8 million for 2009 under the franchise tag.  In June, however, he signed a 4-year contract for $27 million, which is quite respectable for a starting left tackle.

Chris Kemoeatu – is a big, strong, nasty, mauling guard…with occasional temper issues.  He also commits far too many penalties and mental mistakes.  The saving grace is that he is young and this was his first year as a starter.  After signing him to a 5-year $20 million contract, the Steelers obviously hope his play improves.  This contract, however (unlike Kendall Simmons’ contract), had a modest $3.885 million signing bonus, so it offers an inexpensive “out” should Kemo fail to live up to expectations.

Justin Hartwig – is the old man of the group at 30.  He was signed as a free agent last year and was a noticeable upgrade over Sean Mahan.  Probably best known for the safety he committed during the Super Bowl, he actually had a very solid year.  If anything, the biggest knock against him is that he is not Webster, Dawson, or Hartings.  Over 30 years of excellence at the center position creates high expectations.

Darnell Stapleton – was signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2008 draft.  He made the team last year as a backup center and proceeded to beat out Trai Essex for the right guard position after Simmons went down.  Stapleton played extremely well for an undrafted free agent just one year out of college.  Coming into camp he was set to compete with Essex and  Urbik.  Unfortunately for Darnell , he suffered a knee injury at the beginning of camp and had to undergo  arthroscopic surgery.  This will essentially keep him out of camp and he will likely lose his starting job as long as either Essex or Urbik prove competent.

Willie Colon – Willie “false start” Colon, the starting right tackle, did not have a very good year last year.  In fact many analysts feel he would make a better guard than tackle.  Even so, as a restricted free agent, he was offered a first round tender at roughly $2 Million.   This is relatively cheap for a starting tackle and, as Colon is still young, the Steelers obviously hope he will improve.  If he does improve, they can sign him long term.   If not, they can let him go or move him inside to guard at a lower cost.  So far in Camp, Zierlein and Arians have been raving about Colon – let’s hope that is an indication of his play and not simply an attempt to pump up his confidence.

Starks, Kemoeatu, Hartwig , Stapleton , and Colon are all locks to make the team.  That leaves 9 people fighting for the 4 remaining spots.

Trai Essex -  A 3rd round pick in 2005, he has been a top backup but has never shown enough to crack the starting roster.  Able to play tackle and guard, he was resigned this off-season to a 2 year deal for about $1 Mill/year – respectable for a guy who can backup multiple positions.  This year, with Stapleton out,  he has staked a strong claim to the starting right guard position and appears light years ahead of Urbik.  If he maintains his play throughout the pre-season he could keep the starting job even after Stapleton returns.  In any case, he seems to have a roster spot locked up.

Kraig Urbik – The guard out of Wisconsin was the Steelers’ first 3rd round pick in this year’s draft.  Urbik has the size and pedigree to be a dominant guard, but it appeared during camp that he is a bit over-matched right now.  He needs time to adjust to the speed of the NFL and, as a high 3rd round pick, the Steelers will likely give that to him.  Urbik may never see the field this year but I project that he will make the team.

Tony Hills – Selected by the Steelers in the 4th round in 2008, last year was essentially a red-shirt year for Hills.  This year he needs to show more to make the team.  Lucky for him the team is rather shallow at tackle.  As Steelers Today has reported, Hills did not start camp off very well.  His play, however, has steadily improved and he appeared to hold his own in the first pre-season game.  He is competing against Jason Capizzi and Jeremy Parquet for the last tackle spot.  I see it coming down between Hills and Capizzi, with Hills currently holding the edge.

Jason Capizzi – played at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and is from Gibsonia, Pa.  He was originally signed by the Steelers as a rookie free agent in 2007. He has bounced around on the practice squad of a number of teams before being resigned by the Steelers last December (after Marvell went on IR). He has put in a lot of work in the off-season and is fighting Hills and Parquet for the last tackle spot.  As mentioned above, I believe Hills currently has the edge and Capizzi really needs to impress if he wants to overtake him.

Jeremy Parquet – A 7th round pick in 2005 by the KC Chiefs, Parquet spent time with the Rams before joining the Steelers in 2007.  He was promoted to the active roster in October of last year.  I don’t believe he is eligible for the practice squad anymore so he will probably be on the outside looking in when the cuts come in.

Ramon Foster – was signed this year as an undrafted free agent.   He was a 4 year starter for Tennessee at tackle but projects as a guard in the NFL.  The book on Foster is that he is BIG and could develop into a pounding  guard (or play right tackle in a pinch) but that his footwork is slow.  Foster has impressed during camp and has a decent shot to win the final roster spot.  If not, they will definitely try to sign him to the practice squad.

Doug Legursky – played center for Marshall in College and was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2008.  He spent part of last year on the practice squad but was never added to the active roster.   He is competing against A.Q. Shipley, Alex Stepanovich, and Foster for the final backup center/guard spot.  As mentioned above, I believe Foster currently has the edge to make the active roster and Legursky’s fight is primarily against Shipley to make the practice squad.

A.Q. Shipley – The center out of Penn State was the Steelers’ first 7th round pick in this year’s draft.  Shipley is another early fan favorite due to his blue collar work ethic.  Heck, let’s just call him the NFL equivalent of “Rudy.”  His height and arm length are too short to play in the NFL…everyone has told him that but he keeps plugging away.  Unfortunately, I don’t see him making the active roster.  There is a good chance, however, that he will be signed to the practice squad.

Alex Stepanovich – A 4th round pick in 2004 by the Arizona Cardinals, he started 34 games in his 5 year career, most of them for Arizona during his first 3 years.   The past 2 years he has been a backup for the Bengals and the Falcons.  He was signed recently as insurance given the injuries to Hartwig and Stapleton.  On the positive side, he has far more NFL experience than Shipley, Legursky, and Foster put together.  On the negative side, there is a reason he hasn’t been able to stick with a team.  At the end of the day, he only makes the team if Hartwig and Stapleton are not healthy at the beginning of the season AND if neither Shipley nor Legursky are able to impress the coaching staff.

So in summary, I predict that Starks, Kemoeatu, Hartwig , Stapleton , Colon, Essex, and Urbik are in.  Hills and Foster appear to have the edge for the final two spots.  Capizzi, Shipley, and Legursky are fighting to make the practice squad and Stepanovich and Parquet are out.  Agree?  Disagree?  Your comments are welcome.

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April 12, 2009
By Donald Starver

Special thanks to reader Keith, who suggested that I follow up the series “The 3-4 and the Steelers draft” with a similar series on the Steelers’ offense.  I don’t know if I will have enough time to finish this series before the draft, but I am going to give it a try.

I almost called this series “Arians’ offense and the Steelers’ draft”.  But after thinking about it, I realized that I couldn’t write a series with that title.  Using that title would imply that I actually understand Bruce Arians’ offense.  But the truth is that I don’t.

I’ve watched Bruce Arians’ work as Steelers 0ffensive coordinator for 2 years now, and I still am not quite sure what he is trying to do.  His offense is definitely not a traditional Steelers power running game.    The Steelers have struggled to get the tough yards, particularly on the ground.  The Steelers ranked in the bottom third of the league in rushing yards, so I’m not sure if they have much of a rushing attack, “power” or otherwise.

The Steelers’ don’t run a power passing attack.  Ben Roethlisberger ranked 14th in the league in passing yards, and had almost 2,000 fewer passing yards than league leader Drew Brees. 

They don’t run a classic West Coast offense.  In fact, I struggle to place Bruce Arians’ offense into any particular category.  The most accurate description that I can give it is probably the “gain as few yards as possible and then depend of the defense” offense.

To be fair, Bruce Arians’ offense did win the Super Bowl, so I guess I have no right to question him.  But still……

With that in mind, I plan to look at the offensive positions generically, rather than specifically in the context of the Steelers’ offense (since I don’t understand it).  I hope the readers won’t mind that approach.

I’ll start with the area of greatest need on the Steelers offense, the offensive line.  Specifically, I will start with the most important position on the offensive line; the offensive tackle.

To illustrate just how important offensive tackles are, we need look no further than the 2008 draft.  The first overall pick in 2008 was an offensive tackle, Jake Long.  In addition to Long, 7 other offensive tackles were taken in the first round; more than any other position.  Contrarily, no centers or guards were taken in the first round, nor were there any wide receivers selected.

Offensive tackles are usually the biggest linemen on the team.  They are also typically the most athletic.  Left tackles are valued more highly than right tackles, since most quarterbacks are right-handed, and many of the top pass rushers in the league (e.g. DeMarcus Ware, Joey Porter, James Harrison, etc.) play on the right side of the defense.  The left tackle must protect the quarterback’s blind side. 

Because of the greater importance of the position, left tackles are typically drafted earlier than right tackles, and they are paid significantly more.

Left tackles must have the speed and agility to handle speed rushers coming off the edge.  They must also have the strength and base to anchor against bull rushers. 

Contrarily, the right tackle doesn’t need to be quite as fast as the left tackle.  Instead, right tackles must have tremendous leg strength to get an effective push in the running game.  They need to be an “earth mover” who can successfully push back their defensive opponent.  Most running backs are right handed and prefer to run to the right side, so having a mauler in front of them is important to the success of the running game.

Long arms are considered a highly desirable trait for an offensive tackle.  This allows them to extend into defenders.  Extension is important for two reasons.  First, it allows them to get their hands on the defender from farther away, thus controlling the defender and preventing them from gaining momentum.  Secondly, long arms allow the offensive tackle to protect a wider area.  So an offensive tackle with short arms is going to be down-graded by scouts, regardless of how massive he may be.

Looking at this year’s draft class, there are a number of good offensive tackles available.  Most projection have at least 4 offensive tackles being taken in the first round.

Offensive Tackles:

Eugene Monroe (6’5″, 311 lbs.), Virginia.  Monroe is equally adept at run blocking and pass protection.  He uses excellent technique, and is extremely consistent.

Andre Smith (6’5″, 340 lbs.), Alabama.  A hugely talented player with great size.  In college, he was always a man among boys, so he didn’t develop great technique.  He will have to do so at the next level.  Smith’s decision making and mental attitude have raised some questions.

Jason Smith (6’4″, 305 lbs.), Baylor.  A converted tight end who probably won’t be ready to start on day one.  However, he has great athleticism, and should prove to be a good investment for a team that is willing to put in the development time.

Michael Oher (6’5″, 309 lbs.), Mississippi.  Probably the biggest risk among the top-rated offensive tackle.  He had 3 different position coaches in 4 years, and will need coaching at the next level.  He won the Outland Trophy in 2008.

Eben Britton (6’6″, 310 lbs.), Arizona.  Not a great athlete, and he can be beaten by edge rushers.  However, he is a scrappy player who has good size and solid technique.  He will get the job done, although he may not look good doing so. 

William Beatty (6’6″, 291 lbs.), Connecticut.  Outstanding athlete who has questionable toughness.  Doesn’t play with passion.  Didn’t play against the best talent.  May be taken in the first round, but it will be more due to potential than to actual performance. 

The Steelers’ can use an upgrade on both sides of the offensive line.  Willie Colon, in particular may be vulnerable to rookie competition.  He has the longest tenure at his position on the Steelers starting offensive line, yet he continues to fail to impress.  Max Starks played surprisingly well last year, but the Steelers still don’t seem to be convinced that he is their long-term solution at left tackle.

Eugene Monroe, Andre Smith, and Jason Smith will be long gone before the Steelers make their first pick.  However, it is likely that Eben Britton and/or William Beatty will be available when the Steelers select at #32.

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