"Ch-ch-Changes. Pretty soon you're gonna get a little older." -- David Bowie
The Steelers found that out the hard way as their once-proud offensive line got old.
First, Ramon Foster retired following the 2019 season. Then, Maurkice Pouncey followed suit after the 2020 season and the team was forced to release David DeCastro, who was dealing with a degenerative ankle issue, last month. Add in Alejandro Villanueva and Matt Feiler leaving in free agency, and the Steelers don't have a single starter from the 2018 season returning on their offensive line for 2021.
Age wasn't the only factor. Scheme played a part, as well. The Steelers became too much of a finesse team, something that suited the personnel when they had Le'Veon Bell and a strong passing game.
But with Ben Roethlisberger coming off an elbow surgery, the Steelers found themselves unable to run the ball with that style of play in 2020, finishing dead last in the NFL in rushing at 84.4 yards per game.
Because of that, the changes didn't stop with the personnel up front. Offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner and offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett were replaced by quarterbacks coach Matt Canada and assistant line coach Adrian Klemm.
Center Kendrick Green and offensive tackle Dan Moore were added in the third and fourth rounds of the draft. Guards Trai Turner (Chargers) and Rashaad Coward (Bears), offensive tackle Joe Haeg (Buccaneers) and center B.J. Finney, who began his career wit the Steelers before leaving for the Seahawks, were signed in free agency.
It's a complete and total makeover. But is it better?
That's the question the Steelers will try to find the answer to when they open training camp later this month at Heinz Field.
The Steelers want to be more physical up front. Team president Art Rooney II has mandated it. It's up to the coaches and players to implement it.
"I feel great about the strides our offensive line is making," Canada said. "Obviously, we’ve got some change, there’s no doubt about that. when you talk about the guys with Pouncey leaving, just the history he has had here and the tremendous player and leader, I’m obviously a huge Pouncey fan. We have to find and fill those roles. But I think up front, the mindset of what we are trying to do, again the charge from Mr. Rooney to be more physical, to run the football as an offensive lineman, you are going to like that.
"We are going to come off the ball and we are going to do that."
So, the Steelers will have plenty of new faces. And they'll have a new scheme and attitude. But the question again must be asked, is it better?
"We’ve got some different things that are going to set up some run-game things," said Finney. "That’s our main focus, to be able to run the ball better and open things up more.
"You’ll see those things as we progress. Blocking schemes, everybody runs the same things, they just call them different names."
Chuks Okorafor is the only returning "starter," though he started the final 15 games at right tackle after losing a training camp battle for that spot with Zach Banner. Banner suffered a torn ACL in the season opener.
Okorafor will shift to the left tackle spot and Banner will get plugged back into the right side. Turner, a five-time Pro Bowl player, will start in place of DeCastro at right guard, while second-year pro Kevin Dotson will be the left guard.
Center? That's a different story. Holdover J.C. Hassenauer will battle Finney and Green for that starting spot. It wouldn't be surprising to see Green win the job in training camp.
"We don't ease guys into it," Klemm said of Green. "We just put guys in the fire. You know how Coach (Mike Tomlin) is. It's not about putting a toe in the water, it's tossing them in there and they learn how to swim."
That's what the team will do with rookie running back Najee Harris, its first-round draft pick, for sure. But an entire line doing that? Well, that might lead to some growing pains.
The Steelers aren't the only team with an entire offensive line makeover. The Chiefs, for example, will have five new starters on their offensive line from a year ago.
However, Kansas City went with more veterans to rebuild a line that was a disaster in last year's playoffs because of injuries. Of course, the Chiefs spent a lot more money -- and draft capital -- to do it.
Both can work. Both could fail. A lot will depend on how quickly things get settled.
New leaders will need to step forward. And it will take some time for the new approach to take shape.
After all, there's nowhere to go but up.
"I think that’s something that happens organically through the process. I think when guys like me try to create that, it’s not authentic," Tomlin said of the leadership factor up front. "So there’ll be enough adversity and enough challenges and enough opportunities to let natural leadership ability show throughout this process. And that’s one of the interesting subplots that I’m interested in watching develop."
