Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2022 season is over, the team finishing above .500 but failing to make the postseason, we have turned our attention to the offseason. One thing that it means is that some stock evaluations are going to start taking on broader contexts, reflecting on a player’s development, either positively or negatively, over the course of the season. Other evaluations will reflect only one immediate event or trend. The nature of the evaluation, whether short-term or long-term, will be noted in the reasoning section below.
Player: T Le’Raven Clark
Stock Value: Down
Reasoning: Though hardly out of left field, the Steelers’ draft moves addressing the offensive line make veteran tackle Le’Raven Clark’s roster prospects less stable. Not only did they draft a tackle in Broderick Jones in the first round who will be no worse than the swing tackle in 2023, they also added Spencer Anderson in the seventh round, who if he makes the roster, can be used as a super-sub able to fill in at all spots. That could render Clark obsolete.
One of the reasons the Steelers signed tackle Le’Raven Clark is, let’s face it, because he had connections to new assistant general manager Andy Weidl due to their overlapping time together in the Philadelphia Eagles organization.
He was given only a veteran-minimum contract, however, with just a $50,000 signing bonus. The Steelers could have given him a signing bonus worth $152,500 if they wanted to in order to continue to qualify for a reduced cap hit but decided to draw the line at $50,000. That is the dead money they will incur if Clark fails to make the roster.
And the team’s 2023 NFL Draft class will make it harder for him to do so. Whether Broderick Jones starts or not, his presence fundamentally reshapes what the top of the tackle position looks like from before the draft. In mid-April, Clark was projected to be the swing tackle. Now, he is no better than tackle number four, and would not dress for games.
To make matters worse, the Steelers also added another lineman in Spencer Anderson, who could also pose a threat to him. Anderson is capable of playing all five positions along the offensive line. While he seems to be focusing a lot on center right now, most of his college experience is at tackle, and he has the size for it.
If Pittsburgh’s coaching staff believes that a combination of Anderson, as well as Nate Herbig and Isaac Seumalo, is sufficient to cover the tackle depth behind the starters and the swing reserve, then Clark could find himself looking for another job come September, albeit with $50,000 for his troubles.
