Should the Jaguars Be Interested in Former Steelers OG David DeCastro?
Nothing is forever, especially in the cutthroat business that is professional football. Even players who have become pillars of their franchises and faces of their team's success and identity over many years find themselves expendable year in and year out.
Such is the case with six-time Pro Bowler and two-time First-Team All-Pro offensive guard David DeCastro, who the Pittsburgh Steelers surprisingly released on Thursday after nine seasons and 124 starts.
With the former first-round pick and once-elite guard now on the free-agent market, fans and teams throughout the league are likely asking the same question: Should they sign DeCastro?
While DeCastro is likely a sensible fit for several teams throughout both the AFC and NFC, is he a fit for a Jacksonville Jaguars team that is fresh off a 1-15 season and now has to protect the No. 1 overall pick? There are a few reasons to think the former leader of the Steelers' offensive line would excel in Jacksonville, but there are also a few reasons to cast some doubt.
On paper, DeCastro would make sense for the Jaguars to some extent. The Jaguars are in no position to balk at adding players who have played at a Pro Bowl or All-Pro level in recent years such as DeCastro, especially after a disastrous 2020 season that featured too few veteran leaders.
The Jaguars have had just two offensive linemen in franchise history make a Pro Bowl in Tony Boselli and Leon Searcy, so there is no denying that DeCastro would enter the Jaguars' building as the most accomplished lineman the team has employed since Boselli retired.
DeCastro would also be a respected and valuable voice in a young locker room. The Jaguars have some experience along the offensive line considering the youngest and most "inexperienced" starter is third-year right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who already has 32 career starts under his belt.
But for an offense with a rookie quarterback in No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence and a rookie running back in Travis Etienne, adding another accomplished veteran presence and voice would likely be a positive addition. DeCastro knows what a winning franchise and productive offense look like, and there is no questioning the value that his veteran leadership would bring to the Jaguars' young roster and offense.
DeCastro also excels in the one area the Jaguars' pass-rush unit needs to improve the most: Pass-blocking. The Jaguars need to ensure they have a strong pass-blocking line in front of Lawrence to begin with, and this is especially true after we saw the Bengals fumble their offensive line for Joe Burrow during his rookie season.
DeCastro has graded out higher as a pass-blocker than as a run-blocker every year since 2013 according to Pro Football Focus. He has regressed as a run-blocker in recent seasons, but he has remained a strong pass-blocker, allowing zero sacks in 2020 according to Sports Info Solutions.
But for all of the reasons the Jaguars could consider signing DeCastro, there are just as many reasons for the team to not be interested in the former All-Pro.
While DeCastro is a strong pass-protector, it is hard to say he would have been the best overall guard on the Jaguars' roster in 2020. Andrew Norwell and A.J. Cann each had arguably better seasons. The Steelers' offensive line struggled weekly in 2020, and DeCastro wasn't exempt from that.
While has been an elite player in the past and is more than serviceable today, DeCastro isn't the player today that he was a few seasons ago. Past Jaguars' regimes have failed to separate a player's prime from their current level of play, and it is important that head coach Urban Meyer and general manager Trent Baalke attempt to avoid the same mistakes, especially along the offensive line.
If this was 2018, then it would be a no-question decision as to whether the Jaguars would prefer DeCastro or Cann at right guard. But as of today, it is a genuinely fair question as to who is the better starting guard entering the season.
The Jaguars are also likely to lean on their running game in 2021. For a team that has a rookie quarterback but two talented running backs, the Jaguars' should be expected to lean on their rushing game more than many currently expect for them to do. And when it comes to a run-blocking-based offense, DeCastro is a mediocre fit at best.
“Yeah, we had the conversation. And I’d say, once a week for the last three weeks, ‘How do you get a guy successful?’ Have a very strong run game," Meyer said following the first round after the Jaguars drafted Clemson running back Travis Etienne at No. 25 overall.
"Okay, we took [Chris] Manhertz to help extend the offensive line, which is basically what he is. He’s one of the best blocking tight ends in the National Football League. That’s one way to help a young quarterback. How about you add Carlos Hyde to an already 1,000-yard rusher, James [Robinson]? And so, you have fresh legs pounding on people. And then, you try to create a little more depth at wide receiver, we did that, attacked that in free agency."
The Jaguars have talked like a team that wants to run the ball and like a team that knows they can run the ball. Considering Cann's strength is as a run-blocker, it is fair to question why DeCastro should be considered a better fit.
Jacksonville has also stressed continuity across their offensive line. Meyer retained offensive line coach George Warhop and even said throughout the offseason that he didn't view the offensive line as a unit that needed to be rebuilt.
Related: Way-Too-Early Depth Charts: Projecting the Jaguars' 2021 Offensive Line
The Jaguars spent the No. 45 overall pick on Stanford left tackle Walker Little in April's draft, but they have otherwise left the offensive line alone. The Jaguars are high on their starting interior duo, but the team is just as high on backup interior lineman Tyler Shatley, while Ben Bartch was a fourth-round pick a year ago.
Jacksonville's offensive line had its issues last year, but very few of those issues came from the interior. There is reason to believe Cann's strong 2020 season could be duplicated under Warhop's tutelage as well, so there is just little room on the Jaguars' depth chart for another lineman, especially another guard.
There are a few reasons to think DeCastro would be a valuable addition to Jacksonville's offensive line, but the team's offseason strategy, the play of Cann and DeCastro's run-blocking issues all call that fit into question.
The Jaguars' roster isn't yet good enough for the team to be able to turn their nose up at most players released in the summer. Jacksonville needs to continue all options at all positions. But for 2021, it just doesn't appear as if DeCastro is a particularly sound option.
