The Pittsburgh Steelers know that they may need Mason McCormick in the relatively near future. You don’t draft an offensive lineman in the fourth round without having some hopes for his contributions. With that in mind, the pace of his development could have a ripple effect on the roster, even this year.
While McCormick is a guard, he has practiced at center and many draft analysts agreed that he can play there. As such, he can greatly increase the odds of the Steelers releasing Nate Herbig.
If Herbig loses the starting center job to Zach Frazier, then Herbig already becomes harder to keep at $4 million. Throw in McCormick as a potential viable backup at both guard and center and you have an expendable veteran. That’s instant cap savings.
But it goes even further than that. If McCormick can prove himself at center and guard, that helps push Spencer Anderson back outside, at least in part. Reportedly, the Steelers moved Anderson to guard in the spring, but not necessarily as a permanent change.
Anderson and Dylan Cook both made the 53-man roster last year because of their versatility. McCormick can help them both focus more on playing tackle, and if Troy Fautanu starts, then we’re talking about Dan Moore Jr. becoming vulnerable. There are already questions about his ability to play on the right side, and he has an elevated salary, too.
He can’t do it alone, but steady growth from Mason McCormick as a rookie could cost both Moore and Herbig their jobs. His viability also helps make the case for Ryan McCollum, a practice squad interior lineman who has been around for years.
You could have McCormick and McCollum as your interior reserves with Cook and Anderson at tackle. On paper, that doesn’t sound overly impressive, but the Steelers are only doing this if they feel the young players prove themselves.
And Cook and Anderson already proved themselves last year. In fact, their play helped encourage the Steelers to deal both Kevin Dotson and Kendrick Green in 2023. They knocked two veterans off their perches just a year ago, and McCormick could help them do it again. If not both, then perhaps one.
Then again, it’s just as likely that Moore and Herbig are both in the starting lineup. Fautanu and Frazier still have to prove themselves during training camp, and mere pedigree doesn’t do that on its own. More likely, something in between these two extremes ends up being the reality.
And then, after this year, you have even bigger implications. The Steelers seem prepared to let James Daniels walk in free agency, and they are hoping Mason McCormick can fill his shoes. And he may be a rookie, but he has plenty of playing time under his belt. Don’t be surprised if he looks something like a veteran by the time they leave Latrobe.
