Kaboly ‘Would Anticipate’ Steelers Signing Veteran OL After Compensatory Choose Deadline

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Quarterback is at present the Pittsburgh Steelers’ largest query mark. Nevertheless, it isn’t the one gap of their roster. The Steelers nonetheless haven’t changed Najee Harris. They’re additionally severely missing in depth alongside their offensive line. Final season, they bought examined on that entrance, dropping a number of offensive linemen for lengthy intervals of time. Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Present thinks Pittsburgh will deal with that want as soon as it doesn’t have an effect on its compensatory picks for subsequent 12 months.

“You possibly can’t have starter-capable backups at each place, and that particularly goes for the offensive line,” Kaboly wrote Monday in his mailbag on Twitter. “Ryan McCollum is succesful (and confirmed that final 12 months when Zach Frazier was injured) to play any of the three inside positions, and I do know they like Dylan Prepare dinner, however we haven’t seen a lot from him.

“I might anticipate them including a veteran offensive lineman after the compensatory decide deadline comes round on April 28. However they aren’t going to have high quality depth at that place. It’s nearly not possible.”

That may make some sense. The Steelers are scheduled to obtain a number of compensatory picks within the 2026 draft. They’ve misplaced a handful of gamers to free company this offseason. There are nonetheless quite a lot of veteran offensive linemen out there, and the Steelers can in all probability wait to select by way of them.

As soon as that deadline passes, free brokers gained’t depend in opposition to a group’s compensatory picks. That can enable the Steelers to signal whoever they need whereas additionally holding their arsenal of compensatory draft picks intact.

The Steelers probably wish to stockpile as many picks as they’ll as a result of they may commerce up for a quarterback within the 2026 draft. That would rob them of quite a lot of draft capital. Having extra picks is sort of at all times a very good factor, giving the Steeler slightly extra flexibility.

their present offensive line, sort out looks like the obvious weak spot. Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu are slated to begin, however the one depth behind them is Dylan Prepare dinner, a 2022 undrafted free agent with minimal expertise, and Calvin Anderson, a journeyman who hasn’t proved rather a lot within the NFL.

That leaves them with little high quality depth. Whereas Kaboly is appropriate that the Steelers can be hard-pressed to discover a depth piece that’s nearly as good as their starters, there are nonetheless extra skilled gamers out there. It is likely to be smart so as to add a sort out like that, particularly when taking a look at their starters.

Jones and Fautanu have query marks. Final 12 months, Jones appeared extraordinarily shaky. Fautanu suffered a significant harm and didn’t get a lot time on the sphere, so there’s no telling what he’ll appear like in 2025.

Subsequently, kicking the tires on a extra skilled veteran may very well be a good suggestion. Not solely might a participant like that be extra reliable in a pinch, however he may be a pleasant mentor for Jones and Fautanu. After the draft, it might be logical if the Steelers shore up their trenches. They bought a firsthand look final 12 months at how necessary that may be. Ignoring it may very well be a mistake.



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