PITTSBURGH — After the NFL draft in April, I made my first, way-too-early Steelers prediction for the 2021 season:
10-7.
It seemed overly optimistic at the time, but, hey, I’m a positive guy. Now, after the David DeCastro news last week, that prediction just seems plain crazy.
A do-over, please.
8-9.
I know the Steelers have Ben Roethlisberger, who still has plenty left at 39. He’s going to have a good year and might be back in 2022. I’m thinking he’s still going to be a better option than Mason Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins.
I know the Steelers have rookie phenom Najee Harris, who already has started to resemble Le’Veon Bell when, you know, Bell actually played. Harris has the potential to be a terrific bell cow as both a runner and a receiver.
I know the Steelers have as deep a group of receivers as there is in the NFL with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and James Washington. Throw in the tight ends, Eric Ebron and Pat Freiermuth. The only issue for Roethlisberger and offensive coordinator Matt Canada will be keeping everyone happy.
I know the Steelers’ defense should be very good again despite questions about Devin Bush’s return from major knee surgery and depth concerns at outside linebacker and cornerback. Any defense that starts with Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick has a real head start.
But none of it matters if the offensive line is below the line again.
That’s why I thought the April draft took an unfortunate turn for the Steelers even if they were able to get Harris, the best back in college football last season. The top four offensive tackles were gone before the Steelers picked No. 24 in the first round, including Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw, who went 23rd to the Minnesota Vikings. Maybe the Steelers still would have picked Harris if Darrisaw had been available. Maybe not.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger stops for a quick photo with a young fan during afternoon practice Monday, July 30, 2018, at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.
I still thought the Steelers’ line had a chance to be better this season with DeCastro coming back healthy. He wasn’t the same player last season because of knee, abdominal and, though the team never mentioned it on injury reports, ankle issues. I was counting on him being 100% after the offseason and ready to lead a totally rebuilt, inexperienced line. I believe he and the team thought the same thing.
That’s why I was stunned when the Steelers released DeCastro last week. He told Post-Gazette columnist Joe Starkey later that day that bone spurs in his ankle are still a major issue. He is looking at a third surgery and will miss the start of the season.
Maybe Trai Turner will be able to take over for DeCastro on the field and in the linemen’s room. The Steelers signed him to a one-year, $3 million deal Thursday. He was a five-time Pro Bowl guard with the Carolina Panthers from 2015-19 but had a horrible, injury-ravaged season last season. No one can say with any certainty how much he has left.
But even with Turner, the Steelers’ line is virtually unproven, if not a mess. Chuks Okorafor will try to make the move from right tackle to left tackle. Zach Banner is back at right tackle after tearing up a knee in the opening game last season, only his second NFL start. Kevin Dotson, who started four games as a rookie last season, will be at one of the guard spots. The center could be B.J. Finney, who had an awful year last season with Seattle and Cincinnati. Finney might just hold the spot until third-round draft choice Kendrick Green is ready. Roethlisberger will tell you center is the most important position on the line. He also will tell you former center Maurkice Pouncey was his greatest teammate.
Chaos is what happens when the veteran linemen all leave at the same time. Since last season ended, Pouncey retired. Matt Feiler and Al Villanueva left as a free agents. Now, DeCastro has been released. Just a year earlier, long-time starting guard Ramon Foster retired.
Do you feel good about all of that?
Some of you do, actually. I have heard people say it was time for change because the line was bad last season. That’s true. The line was the biggest reason the Steelers had the worst run game in the NFL. Pouncey and Villanueva had slipped. Feiler was just OK. DeCastro was hurt.
But I can’t help but think the line will be worse this season without a healthy DeCastro. Let’s see if Roethlisberger has time to throw to all of those talented receivers. Let’s see if Harris is able to find holes and have a big year.
I’m not betting on it.
At this point, 7-10 doesn’t seem out of the question.
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