The Pittsburgh Steelers have some figuring to do along the offensive line before the regular season begins. Yes, they have to figure out which of the three tackles will be starting and where to put them. But they also have to figure out who they can trust to be their backup center because, right now, they lack a viable option. At least, they seem to think so.
Nate Herbig was battling rookie Zach Frazier for the starting center job, the loser to serve as the backup. But rather than lose the competition, Herbig suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. The Steelers placed him on the season-ending Reserve/Injured List last week. Now, they are trying to see if Mason McCormick or Spencer Anderson can handle the backup role.
Based on the way that he played at center in the final preseason game, I don’t think the Steelers will agree that McCormick is ready for that task. McCormick was a college guard who played very minimal reps at center throughout the offseason. In terms of comfort level, he looked like an emergency center at best—a third-string option.
Several of his snaps looked shaky, for example, without a clean, consistent snapping motion. The 3rd-and-3 snap with under three minutes to go is an example. QB John Rhys Plumlee looked like he was trying to soft-catch an egg. And that doesn’t go into all of the nuances involved that distinguish center from every other line position. That doesn’t mean McCormick can’t do it, but he doesn’t have much time to get up to speed in two weeks.
While Spencer Anderson had some college experience at center, he didn’t play there in the preseason finale. The Steelers have known for the last two preseason games they might need a new backup center. They knew for sure heading into this last one, yet they only played Mason McCormick there.
Perhaps the Steelers feel more comfortable with McCormick and Anderson than I and others might. Or perhaps they like practice squad regular Ryan McCollum as a legitimate backup option. But I can bet you they will be taking a hard look at their external options, including trade possibilities.
A fourth-round rookie out of South Dakota State, Mason McCormick played nearly all of his college snaps at guard. Although he managed 15 at center, it’s such a minuscule body of work that is hardly relevant. It is possible for guards to learn the center position, but he is on a time crunch now.
The Steelers’ injury timing with Herbig was unfortunate because it left them with little time to prepare. They could have had Mason McCormick and Spencer Anderson taking active center reps all throughout the offseason. Had they done that, perhaps they would have been fine.
But McCormick, in particular, did not look like he was ready to handle that job. He looked stout as a guard and should probably be the immediate backup at those two spots. But I think they need to find another player to handle the center duties, even if it’s Anderson.
Or they can sign somebody from the outside, like a Fernando Velasco or a Cody Wallace. J.C. Hassenauer is available again, though he has been through some things over the past couple years. It seems that Mason Cole is no longer at playing weight, but perhaps he can go on a pie diet. However, finding another option and letting Mason McCormick focus on guard only may be in his best interests.
