5 biggest positional battles during Steelers training camp
Steelers will have a battle at center to figure out
The Steelers drafted Kendrick Green to replace Maurkice Pouncey after he retired. The issue was that Green did not play a ton of center in college and the club wanted him to plug into that spot and become the immediate starter. That did not work out too nicely as Green struggled to adjust to the NFL game during his rookie campaign.
The second-year man out of Illinois will have a shot at redemption at center and left guard to regain a starting spot. Center seems like the more realistic opportunity for him to come away with as the starter. He has more NFL experience there and has been training with Pouncey during the offseason.
Mason Cole will be his competition heading into training camp as the veteran has already gotten the bulk of the starting snaps. That is not a good sign if you are Green as you see a free agent signing a contract that pays him well and he already got the reps with the first stringers. This competition still has a lot road in front of it as these two will battle for the right of starter.
Pittsburgh seems to like Cole a lot and rewarded him with a nice contract. This is his job to lose, but do not count out Green just yet. None of these two can hide their warts, but they can make their best qualities show. Neither will be the next Mike Webster but they could become a reliable center that plays consistently.