Player: OL Nate Herbig
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: Say what you will, but facts are facts. The Steelers completed spring practices and Nate Herbig was still taking the first-team reps at center. That’s not to say he is “holding off” rookie Zach Frazier, as the true competition has hardly begun. But it is also clear that the Steelers are serious about Herbig and his ability to play center. Perhaps they are even prepared to start him there if Frazier isn’t ready.
Let’s recall one basic fact before we move on: the Steelers liked Nate Herbig just fine when they signed him. They gave him a two-year, $8 million contract. At the time everybody assumed he would battle to start. Granted, they expected him to compete against Kevin Dotson at left guard, and now he’s working at center.
But his current competition is rookie second-round pick Zach Frazier, who did not dazzle during spring practices. Nate Herbig kept him on the second-team group for most of the time, yet even Kendrick Green surpassed J.C. Hassenauer. Many years ago, Maurkice Pouncey unseated an actual starting center in Justin Hartwig during OTAs.
Anybody who reads this as some kind of indictment of Zach Frazier should take a walk and get some air. That’s far from what I’m saying. But the Steelers are obviously treating Herbig as a center and respecting his abilities. This isn’t putzing around with Green playing fullback.
While Herbig has primarily been a guard throughout his career, it’s worth remembering some things. He spent years as the backup to Jason Kelce in Philadelphia, who hardly missed any time. You can’t play on the offensive line as a backup if the starter is playing. He only has a few dozen meaningful snaps at center, but he has worked there in the preseason and throughout practices. It’s not like he is just figuring out what the position is all about now.
Still, it would be an upset if Herbig is in the starting lineup for the season opener unless due to injury. Frazier will have ample opportunity to prove why the Steelers drafted him in the second round at Chuck Noll Field. But at least Herbig isn’t going to go down without a fight, and the entire line will be better for it.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
