Steelers Inventory Watch – OL Max Scharping

Participant: OL Max Scharping

Inventory Worth: Up

Reasoning: After moderately a protracted delay, the Steelers have re-signed Max Scharping. He was technically nonetheless a compensatory free agent, however had no takers. Reportedly, he returns on a Veteran Wage Profit deal. Whereas having no assurances of creating the roster, the group is presently skinny alongside the offensive inside.

This offseason, the Steelers misplaced two inside offensive linemen in free company. One in all them, Nate Herbig, didn’t signal for a lot, so one wonders if that was a participant resolution. In spite of everything, his brother performs right here. Both method, the tip consequence appears to be a brand new contract for Max Scharping.

A former second-round choose, Max Scharping has six years and a couple of,000-plus snaps below his belt. However it’s exhausting to disregard that below 100 of these snaps have come over the previous three seasons. Granted, backup offensive linemen have a tendency to not play until there are accidents, in order that’s not essentially some large crimson flag.

However there’s a motive Scharping, as a former top-60 draft choose, is signing Veteran Wage Profit offers. There’s a motive he was on the Commanders’ apply squad when the Steelers signed him in October. And there’s a motive that they signed him in October, and never September.

The Steelers signed Max Scharping after coping with accidents alongside the offensive line. They introduced him in to insulate what that they had hoped could be a well-fortified offensive line group. Accidents modified the panorama, although, and that’s why they introduced him and Calvin Anderson in.

The Steelers do have Ryan McCollum and Spencer Anderson as potential inside backups. With a full offseason, maybe Max Scharping can compete for the highest backup guard position. Final season, he truly performed a few snaps at sort out, however that’s not his forte.

Both method, this can be a low-risk, low-reward transfer. It value the Steelers virtually nothing to convey Scharping again. And if he makes the group, he seemingly received’t have an effect on a lot of something. He could not even costume, appearing because the inactive ninth lineman.

With the brand new league 12 months underway and the Steelers turning their roster over, it’s as soon as once more time to “take inventory”. It took some time, however we lastly noticed a few of that change the group talked about after the season ended. Definitely, the transfer to commerce for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, to not point out the accompanying contract.

There’s nonetheless a protracted option to go earlier than we all know what this Steelers group goes to seem like. As soon as the mud settles on free company, we flip our consideration to the draft, and so forth. What different strikes may the group make, maybe sudden acquisitions or departures? In the event that they traded for one participant, they may actually commerce for one more, or commerce one away. This can be a Steelers group ravenous for postseason success, however how determined are they for a playoff win in 2025?