PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers got hit with some tough news over the weekend, losing another offensive lineman to injury. This time, it’s Dylan Cook, who was expected to begin the season as the swing tackle, but will now likely start the year on Injured Reserve due to a foot injury.
This blow comes after the Steelers lose Nate Herbig to a shoulder injury and are waiting on the return of rookie Troy Fautanu, who’s nursing an MCL sprain.
With a day left before final roster cuts, the Steelers have found themselves limited on the line. Now, they have a tough decision to make as to whether they replace Cook or utilize one of their more versatile players as a swing tackle, while also filling the gap at every other position.
Spencer Anderson’s best ability is his ability to play everywhere. Currently, he’s the backup swing guard, but is now viewed as the No. 2 center, replacing Herbig. With Cook being out and Fautanu’s return unknown, he may now be looked at as the backup offensive tackle as well.
That’s certainly not ideal for the Steelers. Learning that many positions is great for keeping yourself on an NFL roster, but it rarely leads to long-term success for a player. The best case scenario is a player is capable of excelling at one or two positions along the line. For Anderson, they viewed that as guard and center.
Adding the outside as well may pull him too thin. That’s not what Pittsburgh wants or needs.
But unfortunately, their only other option is to look outside or keep someone inside. Devery Hamilton and Anderson Hardy are the only two available tackles behind Dan Moore Jr. and Broderick Jones. Neither have worked with the first team, or really impressed during training camp/the preseason.
They could add someone in free agency, with David Bakhtiari, D.J. Humphries, Charles Leno and Donavan Smith headlining the group, but all will cost money – and maybe more than they’re comfortable paying for an older backup.
There is no ideal situation for the Steelers. Right now, they’re limited at a position they were once believed to be the strongest at. And with only one day left to decide on how to fix it, they’re faced with a very challenging situation.