Now that the 2020 regular season has begun, following a second consecutive season in which they failed to even reach the playoffs, it’s time to take stock of where the Pittsburgh Steelers stand. Specifically where Steelers players stand individually based on what we are seeing over the course of the season as it plays out. Who is making plays? Who is missing them? Who is losing snaps? Who is struggling to stay on the field?
A stock evaluation can take a couple of different approaches and I’ll try to make clear my reasonings. In some cases it will be based on more long-term trends. In other instances it will be a direct response to something that just happened. So we can see a player more than once over the course of the season as we move forward.
Player: OL Danny Isidora
Stock Value: Purchased
Reasoning: We haven’t done one of these in a while, so we might as well get to it. The Steelers have added a few players from the outside since the regular season began, and the latest is offensive lineman Danny Isidora, signed off the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad, who will serve as offensive line depth amid injuries at the position.
A former fifth-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings out of Miami, Danny Isidora is a fourth-year veteran offensive lineman who has logged 25 games with six starts over the course of his career. He saw his most extensive playing time in 2018, logging over 200 snaps, and has played around 500 over the course of his career.
Over the course of his four years, Isidora has been exclusive to the guard position, but he has played both the left and the right sides, starting games on either end. He was poached from the Chiefs’ practice squad following injuries this past week.
Starting left guard Matt Feiler suffered a pectoral injury in Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills. The injury landed him on the Reserve/Injured List, which will sideline him for at least the final three games of the regular season, though there is hope that he can return soon after that.
In the same game, backup Kevin Dotson suffered a shoulder injury. While his injury was less serious, his status for Sunday’s game is not entirely clear. It’s possible that he may dress for an emergency, or not at all, or wind up starting.
He was replaced by J.C. Hassenauer, who has started two games at center this year. He would start if Dotson can’t go. Derwin Gray is the only other interior-capable offensive lineman on the 53-man roster.
Signed on Tuesday, Isidora should be able to clear the five-day Covid-19 testing period in order to be available to dress for Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, in a situation similar to that of Avery Williamson when he was first acquired by Pittsburgh shortly before the trade deadline expired.
