David DeCastro
2020 was arguable the worst year for David DeCastro since his rookie season all the way back in 2012. That being said, there was nobody on the offensive line who played particularly well last season, and the unit as a whole was extremely underwhelming. However, just looking back on DeCastro’s 2020 tape, you would never guess that he was a former two-time All-Pro and 6-time Pro Bowl player.
DeCastro wasn’t terrible last season, but his 66.2 overall grade ranked just 28th among NFL offensive guards, according to Pro Football Focus. While some believe he could have been suffering from a nagging knee injury that caused him to miss time early, it makes me wonder if some of this decline was simply DeCastro showing signs of aging. We saw how fast Maurkice Pouncey’s play took a downward spiral, so we can’t rule this out as a possibility.
I’m not opposed to giving DeCastro an extension at the right price. Assuming Pittsburgh does this (and they likely will), I would like them to spread out his cap hit so the Steelers don’t have to cut him a year or two down the road and eat additional dead money. With this likely being Ben’s last year, I would prefer to see DeCastro just play out the final year of his contract.
He will be 32 years old next offseason, and if his play doesn’t improve in 2021, they could let him walk or retire. But I wouldn’t tie a lot of money into an older offensive lineman who is in decline when the Steelers will soon be rebuilding.