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Mason Cole - center - review signing

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by Mashburn, Mar 14, 2022.

  1. Mashburn

    Mashburn Well-Known Member

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  2. Mashburn

    Mashburn Well-Known Member

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    Mason Cole Is Suddenly A Stud


    When the Minnesota Vikings traded a 6th-Round draft pick for Mason Cole last spring, folks spitballed whether he’d play right guard, replace Garrett Bradbury at center, or merely fill a reservist role on the team’s offensive line.

    Cole is a center by trade, but the Vikings adore moving offensive linemen from their organic positions. So, fans tangibly believed Cole would replace Dakota Dozier at right guard, who started most of 2020 and struggled. Cole ultimately did not move to guard, but Dozier wasn’t re-upped as starting right guard either. That title was awarded to Oli Udoh, a player who started the season strong but soon devolved into penalties and reduced production.

    Lo and behold, Cole emerged as the Vikings starting center.


    Bradbury was in charge of the position for 2.5 seasons, losing his job — evidently — to Cole after Bradbury spent time on the COVID reserve list. Through some serendipity, Minnesota’s coaching staff learned Cole just might be a better center than Bradbury.

    The numbers — at least through a few games — confirm it.

    Suddenly, Cole is the Vikings top-graded offensive lineman, scoring a 71.8 per Pro Football Focus grade. And somehow, that tops right tackle Brian O’Neill’s score, which is 70.9 through 11 games. PFF is not without faults, but generally speaking, it serves as a reasonable indicator of player performance. For example, though, not a single Vikings fan around the globe would proclaim Cole a better football player than O’Neill.

    The important part? Cole, so far, is outplaying Bradbury. That’s impactful because Bradbury hasn’t quite turned the corner for his career development. Bradbury is not a poor football player — he’s actually rather apt with run blocking — but he has not matched his 1st-Round draft stock with performance on the field

    The Vikings have until this spring to opt-in to Bradbury’s fifth-year contractual option. Doing so would cost the Vikings north of $12 million, an unlikely splurge for general manager Rick Spielman because a sort-of journeyman Cole will be undoubtedly cheaper.

    Minnesota has six games remaining in 2021, so those matchups (at DET, vs. PIT, at CHI, vs. LAR, at GB, vs. CHI) will be Cole’s almighty audition. For now, he’s vividly showing Vikings brass he can be the center of the future. But career verdicts take longer than 3-4 games. His solidification at center would also mean the Vikings only need one more solution on the offensive line. The right guard spot currently owned by Udoh just cannot be wholly solved by the coaching staff. Wyatt Davis, a rookie, is on the roster, but the team is extremely standoffish about putting the Ohio State alumnus on the field.

    Otherwise, Christian Darrisaw (LT), Ezra Cleveland (LG), Mason Cole (C), Unnamed Solution (RG), and Brian O’Neill (RT) are a sturdy foundation for the years to come.

    And the bizarre part about Cole is that he truly felt like a turnstile-type reservist offensive lineman, in the mold of Nick Easton or Brett Jones for the Vikings in years pas

    But nope. Cole is suddenly on track to be the starting center for the next few seasons, barring any abrupt regression
     
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  3. Mashburn

    Mashburn Well-Known Member

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    - So basically his first year was nothing.
    - Vikings traded a 6th.
    - Vikings thought like us with moving OL players around.
    - Mason Cole stepped in mid season and performed better than their center for 4 weeks (nice pff grade)
    - When their original center returned. Cole was moved to RG and performed great.
    - suffered an elbow injury at the end of the season with one hand left. So they put him on IR.
     
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  4. Mashburn

    Mashburn Well-Known Member

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    There's articles before he came here he would cost 3 year for 15 million. If that holds true. That's an amazing deal if he becomes center or guard for us (two positions we need to improve).

    So this has me thinking the Steelers are going to see what top FA center or guard they can pick up. And then make Cole play the other position.

    If he doesn't perform as a starter. Than at least we got a good player who can step in if our center/guard goes down.
     
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  5. TGH

    TGH Well-Known Member

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    Not a fan. The line is meh, left to right.
     
  6. Mashburn

    Mashburn Well-Known Member

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    Yeah I want us to sign a big name stud for either center or guard
     
  7. OH Steeler Fan

    OH Steeler Fan Well-Known Member

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    Good signing, i hope they still draft an Oline man, but we can't have a bunch of rookies and 2nd year players starting.
     
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  8. R2sojr

    R2sojr Well-Known Member

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    He’s the best OL we have right now. Can we find 4 more? LOL
     
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  9. bigbenhotness

    bigbenhotness Well-Known Member

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    It’s a good signing we just have a ton of holes to fill. All these other little signings we are doing is needed, not sure why people are crying.
     
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  10. Mashburn

    Mashburn Well-Known Member

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    I haven't seen much crying. Almost all I've read are people like us who know we need to stack up all the holes
     
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  11. Karl

    Karl Well-Known Member

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    I like the signing, cost and ability.
    Anytime to can gain a "utility" guy like that, it is good, be it depth or be it starting.
     
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  12. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    very short arms. 32-1/8". chuks okrafor still at RT for the next 3 years. :huh:

    :cool:
     
  13. Rollers

    Rollers Well-Known Member

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    wait. did we sign Mason Cole?
     
  14. Lambert

    Lambert Well-Known Member

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    Yes - well, there's an agreement. 3 years, no $ yet.
     
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  15. GoalLine

    GoalLine

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    Thanks for the notes Cliff
     
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  16. Mashburn

    Mashburn Well-Known Member

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    You're welcome. I'm new here, so I hope it was ok. Because I don't like shuffling 10 pages to see if we signed someone or not. And also want to know something about them, if it's not a known player.
     
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  17. Mashburn

    Mashburn Well-Known Member

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    Mason is already shown to do well with the Vikings. So things like how arm length don't matter.
     
  18. Rollers

    Rollers Well-Known Member

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    Well that's good news!!!! I'm pumped about that
     
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  19. Mashburn

    Mashburn Well-Known Member

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    It should not be much.
     
  20. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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  21. steelersrule6

    steelersrule6 Well-Known Member

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    Chuks isn't guaranteed to be with the team for that whole contract, I doubt he will get that whole 29 million, only 4.5 million in the first year. Who cares about Cole's short arms? He did alright with Minnesota in their run game.
     
  22. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    i wonder why they didn't keep him?

    chucks will cost us dead money next year if released so it's not just 4.5 mil. this year. :cool:
     
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  23. strummerfan

    strummerfan Well-Known Member

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    chuks will cost us very little in dead money if he were to be cut. He’s got a 1 million dollar base salary and a 9 million signing bonus. The next two years the majority of the money is tied to roster bonuses. The Steelers front office made a solid move to plug a hole and give us flexibility once again.
    Holy **** the sky is falling Cole’s arms are 3/8” shorter than pouncey.
     
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  24. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    He was talking of getting rid of him next year. That would cost us around 6 mil. in dead money. Not just 4.5 this year.

    Now as far as 32 inch arms, that is very short for NFL standards. It lets defenders get to their body. I never said he wouldn't work out but it is a concern. :cool:
     
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  25. strummerfan

    strummerfan Well-Known Member

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    go watch his play against us this year when the Vikings ran for over 200 on us. You’re making a mountain out of nothing. Ps David decastro had 32 3/8” arms you never made a peep about it
     
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