The Pittsburgh Steelers are in unfamiliar territory. Beyond just finding a new quarterback and having a new general manager in Omar Khan, the team has several notable position battles heading into training camp. That's a bit unusual for the Steelers, but nonetheless, it makes for a more intriguing preseason.
One of those battles is for the starting left guard position between Kendrick Green and Kevin Dotson. James Daniels has the right guard position locked down, while the same can be said with Mason Cole at center. Green moves over to guard after starting 15 games at center as a rookie last season. He struggled immensely and now returns to a position that he played in his first few seasons at the University of Illinois.
ORCHARD PARK, NY - SEPTEMBER 12: Kendrick Green #53 of the Pittsburgh Steelers waits to snap the ball as Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers calls a play during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on September 12, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
That alone seems to have given Dotson a leg-up in the competition heading into camp, along with the fact that Green wasn't good in 2021. Gerry Dulac, a Steelers writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, appeared on Savran on Sports on Wednesday. He doesn't particularly believe Dotson is the front-runner for the starting job, as he had this to say:
"I think the Kendrick Green [center] experiment is over," Dulac said. "Between the battle between him and Kevin Dotson, I expect Kendrick Green to win. He has more experience playing, and even though it was at center, he was a third-round pick. I do believe they feel that Green can be a very good guard. We did hear Ben [Roethlisberger] say that last year."
Again, this seems to be a bit surprising, at least from what's been rumored throughout the off-season. Dotson had his own struggles in 2021, including coming into camp reportedly out of shape. Coming in, big things were expected from him in his sophomore year. Instead, inconsistent performances and an injury-plagued season led to disappointment.
Green's transition back to left guard made sense for his sake. The sophomore came out of Illinois a bit raw as a center and was forced into action, perhaps prematurely, right away with the Steelers. Green had troubles with the basics, including just giving Roethlisberger a clean exchange on his snaps. His short arms were exemplified at center, as defensive linemen were consistently able to get by him.
CINCINNATI, OH - NOVEMBER 28: Pittsburgh Steelers center Kendrick Green (53) before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals on November 28, 2021, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Steelers beat reporter, Jim Wexell, also appeared on Savran on Sports via iHeart Radio shortly after Dulac. He weighed in on the LG competition as well, echoing a sentiment similar to what Dulac said.
"He [Tomlin] may have been speaking of Kendrick Green winning a guard job," Wixell said on Savran on Sports. "Kendrick Green was getting more first-team reps at the end of the spring than Dotson was. They were taking a long look at Green, instead of Dotson, at left guard."
In a press conference Tuesday, Tomlin assured nothing had changed depth chart-wise in the last few months. That is, other than the offensive line, which he left open to multiple theories. From it, Wixell inferred Green perhaps having more of a chance at winning the LG spot than many are giving him credit for.
Just a year into his career, it seems a bit early to classify it a make-or-break year for Green. With that being said, it's very important for his future prospects with the team. The same can be said for Dotson, as whoever loses out on the job, will have a difficult time finding a long-term standing with the Steelers. Dotson still seems to be taking first-team reps at left guard as training camp began Wednesday, but these latest updates from Steelers insiders provide some optimism for the pro-Kendrick Green crowd.
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