Player: OL Mason McCormick
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: A rookie fourth-round pick, Mason McCormick received some work with the first-team offense today. Starting LG Isaac Seumalo sitting out practice provided him with that opportunity, but he rotated with Spencer Anderson. No matter why, it’s a good experience for a player they’re auditioning for a starting role in the near future.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin probably laughs when he reads these things, and that’s fine. He reminds us every year not to read too much into who is playing where and when, but facts are facts. Mason McCormick logged significant snaps with the first-team offense yesterday, and that experience itself is valuable.
After all, Tomlin’s own general manager talked about their motivations for drafting McCormick. He noted that starting RG James Daniels will be a free agent next year, and Daniels said they’re not extending him.
In other words, they expect to need a new starting right guard in 2025, and they hope that Mason McCormick could be that guy. They valued him so highly that they still drafted him even after already taking two other offensive linemen.
That is why McCormick sharing first-team snaps with Spencer Anderson is significant, because it could foretell what is to come. They want to get a good look at him and Anderson before making their next move. If they feel comfortable with their candidates to replace Daniels, they will move on.
Tomlin manufactures rest days for older veterans like Seumalo, but he does it strategically, too. He rested Seumalo as much to give him rest as to get a better look at McCormick and Anderson. This isn’t exactly a secret, but it’s also worth putting out in the open for the purpose of clarity. This wasn’t an accident.
In the more immediate realm, McCormick is also potentially competing with Anderson as the gameday backup guard. Even if Nate Herbig doesn’t beat out Zach Frazier, they may still want to keep him focused on center so he can serve as the backup there. Then they can have a dedicated backup center, something now possible by dressing eight linemen instead of seven.
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.
