With rookie offensive tackle Troy Fautanu lost for much of the year due to a significant knee injury suffered during last Friday’s final practice before the home opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Pittsburgh Steelers were in search of a veteran offensive tackle with swing abilities. They found that option quickly, signing veteran Calvin Anderson to the roster Monday after placing Fautanu on Injured Reserve.
In Calvin Anderson, the Steelers are getting a veteran offensive tackle with 46 career games and 14 career starts under his belt, with two of those starts coming at right tackle. Through four seasons in the NFL, with three seasons in Denver and one season in New England, Anderson has played 897 career snaps, with 671 snaps at left tackle and 225 snaps at right tackle.
In 2023 with the Patriots, Anderson logged 154 snaps at right tackle in the first two weeks before being benched, playing just 10 total snaps on special teams the rest of the season for the Patriots and was later placed on Injured Reserve on November 3 after suffering a heart contusion in practice.
Anderson then spent training camp with the Patriots this past summer but was placed on Injured Reserve on August 27. The Patriots later released him from Injured Reserve, clearing a way for him to get another shot in the NFL, this time with the Steelers.
He has a pretty interesting backstory with some unique abilities, not to mention two rather scary brushes with death, which you can learn more about here.
But on the field, what are the Steelers getting in Calvin Anderson?
Let’s take a look at the tape.
Last season in New England, Anderson started the first two games at right tackle. That was a change from previous years when he played primarily left tackle for the Broncos.
In the first two games at right tackle, Anderson had some issues in pass protection. His pass sets were a bit sloppy and slow, and he really struggled with speed around the edge.
Balance issues were a problem with Anderson. He would get his weight too far over his knees and would get caught leaning. Once defenders caught him leaning, they were able to get around him. This rep against Miami and pass rusher Andrew Van Ginkel in Week 2 last season showed some of those balance issues, the leaning/lunging, and the lack of foot speed in his pass set.
While he has trouble with speed at right tackle, there were some solid reps at right tackle in New England in pass protection. When his feet and punch are synced up, Calvin Anderson showed the ability to run speed rushers around the arch, creating a clean pocket.
He did that here against Philadelphia’s Haason Reddick.
When he was at left tackle in Denver, that wasn’t really much of an issue for Anderson.
Here against Jackson in 2022 in London, Anderson had good technique and overall form in his pass set, sitting well into his hips to stymie the pass rush.
Make no mistake about it: this isn’t a bookend tackle, one that you can plug and play right away. He’s experienced depth, one that a team can get by with for stretches, particularly at left tackle.
In pass protection in his career, Anderson has been charged with allowing 45 pressures in 581 total pass-blocking snaps.
That’s a pressure once, roughly, every 13 snaps. That’s not all that great.
Where he played well on tape in 2022 and early in 2023 was in the run game. He can create some displacement in the run game and open up lanes, especially in a zone attack, which is what he’s stepping into in Pittsburgh.
Good fit and drive here on the down block, creating movement at the line of scrimmage and opening up a lane for former Patriots’ running back Ezekiel Elliott.
It’s not one of those highlight-reel run blocks, but it’s effective and helps take out two defenders, as you can see the run-side linebacker get tripped up.
Similar thing here in 2022, though, with the Broncos and on the left side.
He has a good burst at the snap in the run game to get off the ball and climb.
Anderson takes proper angles in the run game, has good fits overall, and uses his legs well to chop and drive, creating displacement.
Considering the Steelers are already three weeks into the season, dealing with some injuries in the trenches, and likely to be without prized rookie Troy Fautanu for the entire season, landing a player with Calvin Anderson’s experience and versatility was a sound move.
It’s not a huge needle mover overall. Still, it’s a sound depth addition to ensure the Steelers have an insurance policy at the tackle position behind Dan Moore Jr. and Broderick Jones until Dylan Cook is healthy.
