The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t hidden their intentions about upgrading their offensive line, starters and depth. Nor are they trying to confuse teams over the unit they want to be. Tough. Physical. And run the ball with authority. Sitting down with Steelers.com’s Max Starks, Steelers’ GM Omar Khan said the additions of Nate Herbig and Isaac Seumalo fit what the team is trying to do.
“I can tell you both Nate and Isaac, I love their play demeanor,” Khan said via Steelers.com. “They’re gonna be great assets to that room. But I think with Isaac who was just a starting offensive lineman on a Super Bowl team, I think that speaks for itself.”
Seumalo has been the Steelers’ biggest splash signing in terms of money, inking a three-year, $24 million deal a week into free agency. Regarded as one of the top guards on the market, he’ll have a starting spot come the fall. Where that will be is a little murky but he’s most likely to settle in at left guard, the position he played throughout his career prior to 2022 when he kicked out to right guard.
Herbig is big and physical and also partially comes from that Philadelphia Eagles’ tree, drafted by the team in 2019. It seems like he’s ticketed for a backup role out of the gate but odds are low the Steelers will enjoy the great health up front they had in 2022 – no starter missing a game – and at some point, depth will be tested.
Even the addition of offensive tackle Le’Raven Clark, a clear backup, has the same mindset. A better run blocker than pass protector, he’ll serve as veteran swing depth. Like Seumalo and Herbig, he also spent time in Philadelphia and Assistant GM Andy Weidl’s thumbprint on the team is obvious. Pittsburgh figured out who they wanted to be last year, a run-oriented team. Now, they’re adding the right personnel to maximize that philosophy.
“Adding depth and starter capable guys is important. It’s a priority.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Mike Tomlin yesterday, the team playing with fire with poor depth a year ago. They’ll be better prepared this time around.
Khan’s first full offseason as general manager has been a busy one. He turned over the inside linebacker room, added a veteran corner in Patrick Peterson, and made several moves along the offensive line. He’s putting his stamp on the roster, something he was unable to do when first hired last year, officially replacing Kevin Colbert after the busy part of free agency and following the draft. Already, the roster looks a fair bit different than a year ago and hopefully for the better.
