The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t done! The team has just signed free agent guard and former Philadelphia Eagle Isaac Seumalo to a three year deal per Jordan Schultz:
Breaking: FA guard Isaac Seumalo has agreed to a 3-year deal with the #Steelers, source tells @theScore. One of the best guards in free agency, revered as a smart and tough player.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 19, 2023
No details have been released as far as money goes, but this could be the most significant pickup of the off-season thus far. Seumalo is a four-year full time starter. He was a huge component of the Eagles' offensive success in both the run and pass game this year.
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Isaac Seumalo
Seumalo was drafted in the third round of the 2016 draft, and had a bit of a rocky start to his career. He was an up and down guy before securing the job in 2019. Unfortunately he battled some injuries the following couple of years after that, but bounced back but this past season during the Eagles' remarkable run.
Signing Seumalo Shows Where Steelers Heads Are At
With this move and the addition of Nate Herbig (also from the Eagles), the Steelers are clearly focused on build other trenches to make life easier for both Kenny Pickett and Najee Harris.
The offensive line has certainly been an area of scrutiny over the last few seasons, with last year showing signs of improvement. General Manager Omar Khan and Head Coach Mike Tomlin clearly want to capitalize and build back to where the team was in the mid 2010’s, when they had one of the best offensive lines in all of football.
The Steelers have been extremely active this week, and have wasted no time in improving this roster in areas of need and adding some depth. This also indicates that maybe the team will look to take an offensive tackle at some point in the draft, maybe even early on. If they can nab a top tackle in this year's draft and plug them into this revamped unit, this could propel them to being a top unit in all of football.
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Steelers' newly-aquired offensive guard Isaac Seumalo
Seumalo was the tenth-highest graded offensive guard this season, per Pro Football Focus. He was an absolute mauler and a key cog in the machine for a Super Bowl run for the Eagles. The Steelers can now comfortably mark out a position of need in the upcoming draft. Between Seumalo, Herbig, and James Daniels, the guard position is certainly in good hands. This however could be the writing on the wall for guys like Kevin Dotson and Kendrick Green.
Dotson was last year's starting left guard and has been for three seasons. However, he has battled injuries as well as being highly penalized this season. Per NFL Penalties, Dotson was the fourth-highest penalized offensive lineman in the NFL with eleven penalties. Seumalo had only four, and played in three more games than Dotson. Green battled Dotson for the position in camp and ultimately lost out and did not get any playing time in 2022.
Seumalo also has ties to Assistant GM Andy Weidl, who was a part of the Eagles organization when both Seumalo and Herbig played for the team. This indicates not only is Khan active, Weidl is also doing his due diligence in rebuilding this team. The two have been on a tear this week.
The Steelers have made multiple moves, and with so much time before the draft it remains to be seen if they will continue to do so before they select at the 17th overall spot in April. The contract details have yet to be released, but look for the team to continue to create cap space as the draft approaches. Seumalo will look to be an instant fit with the team and build with his new unit and teammates as the 2023 season approaches.
How do you feel about the new signing? Do you think Seumalo has what it takes to be the starting guard in 2023? Let us know in the comments below!
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