Steelers Send Clear Message With Isaac Seumalo Signing
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers aren't taking any chances this offseason. Last year, after hitting a point where they couldn't ignore significant moves that had to be made, this year, they've hit another breaking point to ensure they aren't taking any risks for the future.
In 2021, the Steelers' offensive line was the worst in the NFL. The group consisted of two mid-round rookies - one playing a position they weren't comfortable in - two young veterans to the team and one league vet near the end of his career.
Nothing worked. Running back Najee Harris got hit in what felt like the moment he touched the football, and to this day, he still recognizes that year as the toughest he's ever had to run the ball.
So, the Steelers went out and fixed their offensive line. They found two young veterans to fill their immediate needs at center and right guard and let the other three - Kevin Dotson, Chuks Okorafor and Dan Moore Jr. - see what they could prove in another season.
This spring, they're leaving no doubt. While the line did improve, and by the end of the season, pretty drastically from the year before, they weren't a good group throughout the entire 17-week campaign. And with Dotson entering the final year of his rookie contract, they planned to attack that position.
So far, they've brought in two former Philadelphia Eagles starters with left guard experience. Nate Herbig was the first name, and many questioned whether or not he would beat out Dotson for the starting job. Next, was Isaac Seumalo.
While Herbig had questions on whether or not he's a starter for the Steelers, Seumalo doesn't. The former third-round pick has 60 regular season starts under his belt, and was the Eagles' starter during all 20 games of their Super Bowl run this past year.
Seumalo will be nearing 30 years old by the start of the season, and didn't come to the Steelers to play behind anyone. You can interpret that the two sides agreed on a deal with the left guard spot in mind, and Seumalo being the one who filled it.
Now, if Seumalo does start for the Steelers, it doesn't mean Dotson is being cut. The Steelers typically bring two backup guards into the season, and with Herbig and Dotson, they have those two backups.
For Kendrick Green, this is likely the end of the road in Pittsburgh. After starting 15 games as a rookie, Green wasn't active once last season, and now with two names ahead of him, he's probably the odd man out of the group.
The message for the Steelers was clear - they're done messing around on the offensive line. They now have a new starter (most likely) and two starter-quality backups to provide depth.
And with the NFL Draft still in front of them, don't be surprised if they continue putting their efforts into the men up front.
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