Perhaps the biggest signing of the Pittsburgh Steelers' active offseason was offensive guard Isaac Seumalo. It came a bit out of nowhere, but it was one that was met with resounding cheers from fans. It was clear the team wanted to upgrade the left side of the line, starting with Kevin Dotson at left guard. A third-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Seumalo comes with a ton of experience.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation.com (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers left guard Kevin Dotson's starting spot is all but gone, as he will now have to compete for a roster spot.
In seven NFL seasons, Seumalo has started 60 games, as he didn't take over full-time until his fourth year, 2019. Injuries have set him back at times, particularly the 2020 and 2021 campaigns when he played a combined 12 games. At 29 years old though, he has plenty of excellent football ahead of him. His former teammate with the Philadelphia Eagles, center Jason Kelce, talked about just how good he is when speaking to the media on Wednesday.
"He's one of the best guards in the NFL, and I think he has been. I think he's one of the most consistent players I've ever been around. So we're not going to replace Isaac, there's going to be someone new in there, and they're going to have their attributes that they're going to excel with, and I'm looking forward to seeing who does a really good job with that."
While Dotson showed improvements in 2022, his costly mistakes were still far too often. Specifically, he struggled with penalties, which Head Coach Mike Tomlin gets infuriated with, and rightfully so. Those penalties set back an offense that didn't need any setbacks.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin became increasingly frustrated with the offense's penalty output in 2022.
Pro Football Focus loved Seumalo's play in 2022, as he ranked 10th out of the 77 qualifying offensive guards with a 72.7 overall grade. He simply continued the upward trajectory that he had shown for years, as the aforementioned injuries set him back. The former Eagle doesn't really have a weakness to his game, as he excels in both pass protection and run blocking. Kelce wasn't done with the praise of his former teammate, either.
"Isaac is a really, really special player. I know we've said that here for a long time, and I still don't think people really truly grasp what he did for our room. And me personally, I think he's probably the smartest player I've ever been around. Really, really gifted physically, mentally, across the board. So I think the Steelers are getting a steal, that's a good pun, I guess," Kelce said to reporters.
Those are all things that fans love to hear. Kelce's comment about Seumalo being the smartest player he's played with is even more impressive. At times in 2022, the Steelers offensive line lacked communication and leadership. Those are two things that he should bring to the team in 2023 and beyond, along with his stellar on-field play. There's a reason that Pittsburgh paid Seumalo big bucks, $24 million across three years to be exact.
Tim Tai / The Philadelphia Inquirer via Associated Press
Steelers assistant General Manager, Andy Weidl continues to implement an imprint used with the Eagles.
Seumalo's free agency seemed a bit quiet in the fact that negotiations and teams of interest were never really reported. The Eagles had several top-notch free agents, and he may have been the best one. They had to pay other guys like, Jason Bradberry and Fletcher Cox, but it wasn't an easy decision for them. Instead, former Eagles front office member Andy Weidl, now the assistant GM for the Steelers, played a large role in getting the lineman to Pittsburgh.
One could say Seumalo went a bit under-the-radar in Philadelphia, as he was surrounded by elite talent. That begins with the offensive line, as Kelce and Lane Johnson typically are the ones who get the praise and recognition there. In Pittsburgh, he may be the best lineman right away. Despite the improvements, the Steelers offensive line was surprisingly ranked the worst in the AFC North recently.
How big of an addition will Seumalo be for the team in 2023? Will he make the Pro Bowl in his first campaign in Pittsburgh? What are your expectations for the offensive line as a whole? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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