Steelers Likely To Be Nearing Reunion That The Fan Base Will Strongly Disagree With

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had very inconsistent play on the offensive line for several years now. Retirements of key contributors such as David DeCastro, Maurkice Pouncey and Ramon Foster all have played a role into the regression from the group. The departure of former offensive line coach Mike Munchak also had a severe impact on the unit. General Manager Omar Khan has made it a focal point of the roster reconstruction in recent years. In his two drafts as the head of the front office, both first-round picks were used on tackles, while a second-rounder was used on a center.

Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier are expected to bring the group back to being one of the NFL's best, but it's clear that the trio isn't where it needs to be. Jones looked shaky in a Week 2 preseason contest against the Buffalo Bills, and Fautanu is dealing with an injury. Frazier looked solid on Saturday night, but there's no doubt that Pat Meyer could be feeling some heat for his unit to perform better.

It was reported on Sunday evening that original starting center Nate Herbig has a torn rotator cuff and could miss the entire 2024 season. While Frazier was expected to overtake him at the top of the depth chart and be the starter Week 1, Herbig certainly proved that he would be a worthy backup. Now, Ryan McCollum is set to jump into that role, barring a move externally.

That's exactly what fans can probably expect, and the majority of the black and gold faithful isn't going to be happy if Khan goes in the direction that he likely will. Mason Cole remains unsigned and despite his struggles in 2023, is a more reliable second-string player than McCollum. Cole's veteran presence would be a good thing to have around the rookie in Frazier as well.

There's always the possibility of Mason McCormick sliding in at right guard and moving James Daniels to center in the event of an injury to Frazier, but it would provide a lot more security in terms of depth if Cole was on the roster. He struggled mightily in 2023, specifically with snapping the football, which is a center's most important job. He had several drive-killing snaps a season ago.

The poor play and inconsistency led to the Steelers releasing Cole as he was set to enter the final year of a three-year contract he signed with the organization in 2022. He likely has been waiting for an opportunity to pop up, and the injury to Herbig could be what finally lands him back on an NFL roster. He has familiarity with the organization and Pittsburgh has always taken that into account when bringing someone on board when dealing with these types of situations.

The goal would be for Cole to act as a mentor to Frazier, specifically in the area of leadership. Cole was often recognized as a strong locker room personality, and the Steelers have hopes that Frazier will be anchoring the line for a decade or more. It might lead to some negative pushback, but it's hard to deny that a reunion involving Cole makes sense for Pittsburgh, and the lineman himself.

Steelers' Offensive Line Has To Perform At High Level In New System

Arthur Smith took over as Pittsburgh's play-caller after an abysmal two and a half years with Matt Canada calling the shots. There will be plenty of running the football in the new playbook, which should open up the play-action passing attack. That all hinges on the big men up front creating holes for the ball-carriers. Cole coming back to the Steel City would be a strategic move that allows for some comfortability in terms of the back-up center position.

Would you be okay with the Steelers re-signing Cole to a one-year deal as the second-string center? Let us know in the comments below!

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