In a span of 24 hours, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost their starting left guard and the guy who would have replaced him in the starting lineup. Ramon Foster’s retirement was unexpected but B.J. Finney singing with the Seattle Seahawks was not.
What do these two big moves mean for an offense trying to get back on track this season? Here are our three big takeaways.
Matt Feiler might be switching positions
The easiest fix on the roster to fill the void at left guard is Matt Feiler. He’s been the team’s starting right tackle for the last season and 10 games but is a natural guard. Just looking at veteran depth on the team, there is much more at tackle than guard so the Steelers might find it easier to slide Feiler inside and let Zach Banner and Chuks Okorafor duke it out for the starting right tackle spot.
Interior offensive line becomes a top priority in the draft
Regardless of what happens above, interior offensive line moves way up the list of draft priorities now. This isn’t just because the Steelers need a left guard but because Finney was the top and most talented backup center on the roster by a mile.
The team wasn’t as high on Finney as the fans
Considering how much Finney got paid, you have to think the Steelers weren’t as convinced of his longterm starter potential as many fans were. Unfortunately this, along with how little money the Steelers had to spend forced the hand of the front office. Nevertheless, it will
