The Pittsburgh Steelers have no ideal alternatives at center after releasing Mason Cole. Not that they had one to begin with; in advance of free agency, however, the discussion is turning to possible in-house options such as Nate Herbig and James Daniels.
I don’t personally believe the Steelers are seriously considering going this route barring a disappointing offseason of acquisition. I posed the question yesterday largely out of curiosity, but I doubt seriously Daniels starts at center on opening day.
Still, those who have far more connections than me raise the possibility. I’ve read something to that effect from a few different reporters by now, Ray Fittipaldo the latest. In his Pittsburgh Post-Gazette chat yesterday while discussing the Cole release, he offered, “don’t forget that Nate Herbig and James Daniels could be options at center this coming season”.
To be clear, nobody asked Fittipaldo if Herbig or Daniels are potential options to start at center. He broached that subject on his own. Herbig served as the Steelers’ backup center in 2023 while Daniels has starting experience there in Chicago and in college.
But Daniels has not played center since 2019. And he spent just half a season with the Bears in that spot. He has multiple years of collegiate starting experience at center, but that’s even further in the past. At this point in his career, he is well established as a guard. Even there, though, he began his college career playing guard before the team moved him inside.
As for Herbig, he has no meaningful experience playing the position. He didn’t do it in college and has played all of 49 snaps there in the regular season. Most of his experience playing center is during the preseason and in training camp settings.
The only plausible scenario in which I can see the Steelers taking one of these paths is if they don’t sign a veteran center, as a prerequisite. They may even have to miss out on the top three or four center targets in the draft. We’re talking about a Kendrick Green situation, yet even Green started even though they should have played J.C. Hassenauer.
Not only is Daniels half a decade out of practice at center, moving him opens a hole at right guard. Herbig could then play right guard, but you may be weakening two positions to address a hole at one.
It’s possible that the Steelers considered starting Daniels at center when they first signed him in 2022. Two years into the system at right guard, however, I struggle to accept the premise. Them moving players isn’t unprecedented, though. They moved Willie Colon from tackle to guard in 2011, and Colon had never even played guard before.
Still, the Steelers’ pattern suggests that they sign a veteran free agent and address the position with an early draft pick. As I mentioned earlier, if Daniels or Herbig starts at center, their plans likely fell through at some point along the way.
