While the Pittsburgh Steelers left their first preseason game with a win, not everything graded out well from the debut outing. Pittsburgh flashed a lot of strengths, and there is a lot to build off of for the rest of the preseason.
However, the game also showcased a major flaw for the team. Most of the offseason has been spent worrying about this flaw, and the first preseason game proved that issue to be a reality.
The Steelers offensive line depth stinks.
From top to bottom, there is very little to excite you about this group past the starters. Despite heavy investments in this group over the past few years, anyone outside of the top five is lackluster.
Offensive line depth is hard to come by. Teams struggle to find a competent group of starters, let alone good backups. That said, the Steelers are playing with fire with this group. If they aren’t careful, they might get burned.
The Pittsburgh Steelers need to get better depth in the trenches
While we are seeing positive growth from the tackles and the young starters on the line, and we all expect Isaac Seumalo to play well as a veteran, beyond that, the room is sparse.
Calvin Anderson looked ok as a swing tackle option before his injury in the preseason. Spencer Anderson is ok in spot duties, but the more he plays, the less you want to see him. Beyond that, this group looks ugly.
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The running game was putrid after the starters left. Holes were nonexistent, and the blocking was sloppy. Pass protection was better, albeit nothing could have been worse than the run blocking. Even then, it was still sloppy.
Even veteran names like Max Scharping and Andrus Peat struggled. These are guys who have been around the block, and you would have hoped that they could have taken some steps forward as backups.
The current market for backup linemen is sparse, but in a few short weeks, teams will begin their final roster cuts. No, this won’t yield elite talent, but it would make sense to add a name or two to boost this depth chart.
Pittsburgh has spent significant resources rebuilding this offensive line in recent years. However, injuries are always present. It would be a disaster to see this team have to turn to these bad backups if injuries were to strike.
The Steelers need to make a plan to add someone new to this room. If they don’t, they enter the season in a precarious spot and one injury away from a season-long disaster. Getting a better backup or two is a top need for Pittsburgh before the regular season starts.