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The Pittsburgh Steelers, and NFL for that matter, have officially hit the offseason. With a month before contracts officially expire, and the new league year begins, the Steelers will need to start game planning their future.
In this series we will look at every position group of the Pittsburgh Steelers and what the team will do with the players that were on the 2021 roster, and how they should rebuild the spots heading into the 2022 season!
Today we look at the Steelers interior offensive line, a position in desperate need of an influx of talent and for others to rapidly improve. Quite simply, this unit wasn't good enough last year and the Steelers have a lot of work to do to improve it...
The 2021 Roster
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Kendrick Green (3-Years $1.1 Million)
Trai Turner (UFA)
Kevin Dotson (2 Years $1.05 Million)
B.J. Finney (UFA)
J.C. Hassenauer (UFA)
John LeGlue (1-Year $825k)
The 2021 Interior offensive line was nothing short of terrible. Kendrick Green offered nothing at the center position, and might've been the worst starting center in the NFL last season. Trai Turner and Kevin Dotson never seemed to get on the same page with Green, and eventually Hassenauer and LeGlue made it into the starting line up. It was borderline embarrassing to watch as a fan of the team and a former offensive lineman. The Steelers have no excuse to bring in at least one new starter at guard and center, and they really should look to bring in two.
One of the reasons the Pittsburgh Steelers were so bad in 2021 was this position group. Ben Roethlisberger got his head taken off numerous times while dropping back, and Najee Harris was getting tackled as he was getting the ball with frequency because of the interior of the offensive line. When the backups entered the game late in the season the Steelers took a step forward, and this should be reason enough to replace nearly everyone at the spot.
Should they look to add a player
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Absolutely they need to add players along the offensive interior, and they need to invest high draft picks as well as premium dollars in free agency to juice up these positions. To me, the ideal scenario brings in Super Bowl champion right guard Austin Corbett and Remington award winner Tyler Linderbaum to the unit. The Steelers offensive line would instantly become one of the better units in the sport just by adding those two players. Just think about how much better the rest of the offense would be with those two additions. Najee Harris would be pushing close to 100 yards per game and whoever is at quarterback would be able to stand in the pocket and deliver the ball around the field.
To me, adding big time players at these positions is the most important thing the Steelers can do this offseason and they cannot be afraid to replace anyone on the roster already. I don't care that Kendrick Green was a third round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, he doesn’t look like the answer at the position, and has me leaning more towards him being a bust. Sometimes you just have to move on and let your team get better.
How should the group look in 2022
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The names which started 2021 shouldn't be the same as the ones that start 2022, with the exception of Kevin Dotson, who needs to get into football shape. The perfect scenario has the Steelers spending big at guard and center with either being a top draft pick. Investing here will make the Steelers that much better and help whoever’s starting at quarterback moving into the future. Give me Linderbaum and Corbett and watch the rest of the offense take off. It really is that simple, and a complete no-brainer for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But what do you think? What should the Steelers Interior Offensive Line look like at the start of the 2022 season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Check out the other position previews below:
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