With the 2016 NFL Draft now over and the bulk of the heavy lifting done with regard to the roster building process now out of the way, it is easier to begin to take stock of where the Pittsburgh Steelers stand at certain positions, and what the implications might be of a variety of moves for certainly players.
And take stock is what we shall do, as every move has ramifications up and down the roster, so now we will take a look at some specific players and see how the team’s moves during the course of the offseason thus far, and more specifically since the draft, has sent their stock rising or falling.
Player: G Ramon Foster
Stock Value: Even
For a 30-year-old veteran starting guard, I don’t suppose there’s much room left to go up, especially not for Ramon Foster after coming off arguably the best season of his career. Having re-signed with the team this offseason to a new three-year deal, his continued presence offers much-welcome stability to the offensive line.
It is no doubt for good reason that Foster has among the best reputations in the locker room when it comes to both on-field and off-field concerns. He is a leader in both aspects, as well as an ambassador and a representative.
But these are all the things that he has been for some time now. He has quite a bit of experience already in this league—he will be starting his 100th game this season after playing in his 100th game last year—enough that there is probably not much that can surprise him.
He certainly has no shortage of experience working with a variety of different personnel surrounding him, including a handful of different starting left and right tackles since the 2009 season, having logged many starts at both left and right guard.
He has been integral in keeping the offensive line together, particularly through the 2013 and 2015 seasons with the year-long stints absent Maurkice Pouncey at center. He also was forced to work with replacement linemen on both sides of him last year, which is an awful lot of responsibility in terms of making sure that both players next to him know what they are supposed to be doing.
It’s actually somewhat amusing how, whenever Ramon Foster gets talked about, his play on the field seemingly gets overlooked in favor of everything else that he brings to the table, as though he is not a legitimately quality starting offensive guard, when he absolutely is, and is a point worth reminding for those who might forget that fact.
While he may possess no singularly elite or defining traits, his bread and butter has long been his intelligence and his consistency, with a dash of fundamentals to go along with it. He can drive a defensive end out of the hole if need be, and he has become excellent picking up stunts. If this is his ceiling, then that is perfectly fine, because he is higher up than a lot of people recognize.
