Game-Changing Moves: 4 roster shuffles to catapult the Steelers
By Tommy Jaggi
3. Make James Daniels the center, Nate Herbig the right guard
Of all of the potential Steelers roster shakeups that could benefit the team, this one requires the most moving parts and the biggest projection. However, it would be crazy for Pittsburgh to keep rolling out the same lineup when there are some ugly holes.
Outside of maybe just Dan Moore Jr., Mason Cole has been the worst offensive player in a Steelers uniform this year. His performance has been so bad that the veteran offensive lineman has actually graded out as the 35th-best center in the NFL entering Week 7. Considering there are only 32 starting centers in the NFL, this is almost an unattainably bad feat.
The tape matches the disgusting grade. Quite frankly, Cole doesn't seem to be much better than Kendrick Green was at center during his rookie season in 2021. There aren't many teams out there who are willing to give up a quality starting center via trade, but there's another solution the Steelers could explore.
All throughout college, James Daniels was a center at Iowa (and a very good one at that). In fact, entering the 2018 NFL Draft, Daniels was considered an early second-round pick. Daniels is an incredibly smart player who can make the switch.
By moving Daniels back to his more natural position, the Steelers could potentially get a sizeable upgrade at center. In his place at right guard, Pittsburgh could insert Nate Herbig. Herbig had a very strong game against Baltimore stepping in for the injured Daniels back in Week 5. This lineup would take a significant weakness off the field and would likely yield better results on the offensive line for the Steelers the rest of the way.