Zach Frazier stepping in for the injured Nate Herbig is a seamless transition, one that was going to happen sooner or later. Herbig’s season-ending torn rotator cuff merely accelerated that process. Finding out who will back up Frazier is a little more difficult. But consider Mason McCormick as part of the mix, the rookie telling the PPG’s Brian Batko he is seeing more center work in recent days.
“Definitely a little more [lately],” McCormick told Batko of his center usage. “I’ve got to be ready for whatever they throw at me.”
McCormick was almost exclusively a guard at South Dakota State where he made over 50 starts. Only 15 of his college snaps came at center. Despite that, Pittsburgh showed interest in his ability to play center, OC Arthur Smith and OL Coach Pat Meyer flying to South Dakota a week before the draft to work him out, an uncommon practice for the team. Frazier landed in their second-round laps, reducing the need for a mid-round center, but the team couldn’t pass up on McCormick and used a rare triple-dip of offensive linemen, taking him in the fourth round.
Still, McCormick played guard for the first 15 practices of training camp. He would sometimes snap with the quarterbacks early in practice to help them warm up but didn’t see a single team rep until last Wednesday when Herbig suffered his shoulder injury. For the Buffalo Bills game, he continued to play guard as Frazier and Ryan McCollum handled the center reps.
Now, it sounds like there’s a chance for Mason McCormick to see in-stadium action at center during Saturday’s preseason finale versus the Detroit Lions. He might not be alone. Second-year man Spencer Anderson could be in a similar boat. He spent more time at center in college and sporadically worked there last summer, picking up five snaps during the preseason and a bunch more in training camp. They seem to be the two most likely candidates to serve as Frazier’s understudy, though McCollum’s experience can’t be completely discounted.
Pittsburgh’s first-team offense will play against Detroit, a reasonable decision given its struggles. That should mean Frazier will start off in the middle snapping to Russell Wilson. Who comes in after him will be something to watch. Hopefully, Anderson or McCormick get plenty of time to afford the Steelers an evaluation of their options before constructing their Week 1 roster against the Atlanta Falcons.
