With training camp just around the corner, it’s time to turn our focus on what is going on within each position, and on the roster as a whole. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be taking a closer look at some of the roster battles that we expect to see unfold over the course of training camp as the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare for the start of the 2023 season.
This year, there will be no quarterback competition overshadowing everything that goes on at Latrobe, but there will still be plenty of battles to sift through, both in the starting lineup and in depth. The Steelers added many new faces this offseason, rookie and veteran alike, and it’s in training camp that we begin to see where all the pieces fit.
Position: Center
Up for Grabs: Backup
In the Mix: Kendrick Green, Nate Herbig, Spencer Anderson, Ryan McCollum, James Daniels
As far as I know, Kevin Dotson has no plans to start taking up the center position, content to stick to guard even while conceding that he’s already lost his starting job. That lack of versatility will make it hard for him to keep his spot on the roster, but far from impossible.
Especially if the Steelers can’t scare up some more desirable options along the interior, and if Nate Herbig ends up being the backup center, that’s going to make things a lot easier for Dotson, because the former is already virtually assured a roster spot.
The thing is, Herbig has played very little center over the years, at least when it counts. His experience has come primarily during training camps and preseason games. But he should get a good amount of work there in Latrobe.
Then there’s Kendrick Green, who was in fact the starting center just two years ago. He worked consistently with the second-team group at center during OTAs and minicamp, the Steelers seemingly intent on giving him every chance of making the team.
But there’s a potentially wide-open field here, with rookie seventh-round pick Spencer Anderson an interesting option. Though he’s most experienced at tackle and guard, he does have center experience at the college level, and he could potentially be a super-sub for all five positions. Assuming he is any good at any of them at the NFL level.
Ryan McCollum, a former college teammate of Dan Moore Jr., spent last year on the practice squad, so he knows the Steelers’ system. He could be considered a wildcard to make a run here, and it’s not uncommon for them to unearth linemen among the unheralded during training camp.
Last but not least is the possibility of the team relying on one of their other starters to serve as the primary backup at center, with right guard James Daniels being the obvious favorite. He was a center in college and played the position some at the NFL level as well. Offensive line coach Pat Meyer named him as one of the options, so we do have to take it seriously as an option.
