Focus on the Offensive Line

Depends on how you're looking at it. I'd agree that quality centers don't often hit the open market, as teams want to hold onto them. As far as finding them, they're limited more by quality than quantity. Here's an article showing what it considers the safest/riskiest positions from the top of the draft - it's from 2015, but the percentages haven't changed significantly. Centers rank very well in success rate*, there are just a lot fewer of them to select from.

*Void where prohibited and with any third-round guards possessing only five games' collegiate experience at the center position.

 

As you said, I am looking at from merely an availability standpoint; both FA and the Draft. As you have stated, they are very limited due in part to the quality of that player overall. Given how seldom even good Offensive Lineman hit the market, their value usually is either pretty high to new contractual standards per their position. For example, Kevin Dotson (there is that name again!!) basically parlayed himself into a good argument for being one of the highest paid Offensive Guards in all of football. Now, some teams may look at his previous time here with Pittsburgh. Due in part to him playing with one of the leagues greatest Offensive Minds in Sean Payton though?!l..... I believe others will overlook some odd years mainly due in part to playing, you guessed it, out of position.



Regarding your article detailing the safest/riskiest positional groups in the draft, recall back in another thread I posted something similar to you regarding Corners or Offensive Tackles?! Charts like the ones we have both posted further magnify the not just the importance but also significance of acquiring Offensive Lineman. As the article you provided stated; the pool in which to even acquire a good Offensive Tackle is relatively low as the upper echelon of those players are drafted either very high to even Number One Overall... as was the case with Eric Fisher. For me personally and, as I have told you, Graham Barton MUST HAVE one hell of a showing at the Senior Bowl for him to even be considered a potential Center in the Draft for everything else for him doesn't concern me. Given how many of us are still pretty damned pissed at how the likes of AR II, Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin all collectively misevaluated the hell outta Kevin Green?!....


I personally don't think that another misevaluation along the Offensive Line is going to do the likes of Kenny, Najee or anyone else on the Offense any favors.

 

Powers-Johnson is the best center in the draft hands down. If they want him though, they better grab him in the 1st round, because he'll be gone by #51

 

LOL... Going to be a sh!t show when the Steelers go to Oregon to check out Powers-Johnson, when all the media trolls will be claiming that they are there to scout Bo Nix.

 

Perform at a very high level, start to finish, as a Center during the Senior Bowl weekend. Mind you he only has five starts total as a Center; something I am honestly not to joyous about despite his tremendous overall profile. Not saying he will work hard to be all he can be (his overall Scouting Report round up states that few players at Duke, if any, outworked him) but such a small sample size along with his questions as a Left Tackle will require further analysis. Best analysis that can answer those Center based ones is to see him as one at the Senior Bowl.

 

Ah... I see. My mistake.


Was mentally fatigued. Gets a bit hard to differentiate between sarcasm and non sarcasm.

 

We absolutely cannot go into next season with Mason Cole as the starting C, and we absolutely have to move BroJo back to LT, so a viable RT is necessary as well.... I'm pretty sure we have to use 2 draft picks each on O-line....
Cole is a better G than C and would provide depth for the entire middle

 

i agree b&g. cole could be usful as a backup. i'm interested in what cook could do as well. there was some buzz going around about him this year as having some upside. could mccullom be useful. he's been here a couple of years. spencer anderson is still here as well. we may have some guys right under our noses.

 

undesirable that the OL plays the first half of the season below average.

has happened last two years in a row.

 

If we can hit on a center or tackle in the first 2 rounds this OL could be very strong next year. At least in the second half of the year when they let the rookie play.

 

These players have to be ready from get go. I know they will make mistakes but have to be better then what we are trotting out now, We can't even perform a center QB exchange in the shot gun.

 

I thought same thing but he seems to be a KC fan now I live in Eagle land and they were not happy to see him in a Chief hat.

 

If the rookie is ready by mid year

 

Why with ota's 6 weeks of traning camp does it take OL
8 weeks to play top-notch like our Steelers did this year?
This is a crime that I blame on OL coach and players.

 

I agree with the OL in general especially because they had played well at the end of the previous year

But you sure as hell don’t want to stick a rookie in at tackle until he’s able to play without getting your QB killed

Or a rookie at CB until he’s ready and not going to lose games

 

much of that has to do with adding players that have not played here together.

 

I am going to have to agree to disagree with you Mac they go thru
OTA'S and then 6 weeks of training camp then don't start playing
Like they should until about week 8. This really is when the run game started to
work. The QB and the team needs it to work game 1.

 

But when you bring in experienced guys the learning curve should be quicker

 

I don't know, he might be on the Percy Harvin trajectory and still be on the roster in another 5 years...depends if he's in Tomlin's sewing circle or not I guess.

 

yes they should but they also used several types of schemes which still takes time for 5 guys or 6 guys or seven guys to gel together. remember chuks began the season. daniels was hurt a couple of games and herbig played some. jones came in as well. the offense was trying different things with the canadian. the RB's have some equity in the run game as well. one ran well and one danced for a few games.

 

I think the defensive line is in need of more help than the O line. The o line has shown some indication of getting better

 

Maybe it's time to be aggressive and trade up in the 2nd round?

If it was my Franchise in Madden it would be a done deal

 

The guy is a beast, they should even consider taking him in the 1st