Mason Cole could continue the trend on fixing past mistakes
As mentioned earlier in the article, it would be almost foolish to bring both Cole and Herbig back next season. If the Steelers cut both players, then it would save them a little under nine million bucks in cap savings. That is significant and something the black and gold shouldn't look past. Those savings would allow them to get active in free agency and upgrade their roster. Maybe both Cole and Herbig could get cut.
Cole is someone who might be more likely to stick around rather than Herbig. He has a lot more starting experience and has the position flexibility that Herbig also brings with his game. With Tomlin and Khan showing that they are interested in centers early in the pre-draft process, it looks like Cole's starting days could be numbered.
It does make sense to keep him around for another year to provide starting insurance in case the draft doesn't fall your way and you can't invest in a center early on. That way, if they fail to get an upgrade this offseason then they at least have a fallback option. Whereas if they cut Cole soon, they are committed to possibly signing a free agent and drafting at the position in the coming months.
Cole is less likely on this list than some others in this article, but it makes sense for him to worry about his job security. Cutting him would save the black and gold over four and a half million bucks. His poor play last season would surely bring that conversation to light. His experience and versatility might save him, but his cap savings are hard to look past.