When the Steelers opened training camp at Heinz Field last July, the team felt it was in good, not great, shape at center.
After all, they had selected Kendrick Green in the third round of the draft and had both J.C. Hassenauer and B.J. Finney, who had started games at center in previous seasons, on the roster, as well.
But a week into training camp, Hassenauer and Finney were out with injuries, leaving Green as the only healthy center on the roster. The team was forced to use John Leglue, an undrafted offensive tackle fighting to get noticed, at center.
It seems GM Kevin Colbert is intent on making sure the team isn't left short at center again.
With the free agent additions of James Daniels and Mason Cole along with the return of Green, Hassenauer and Leglue, who wound up starting the final six games, including the playoffs, at left guard, the Steelers now have five players capable of playing center on their roster.
Daniels, the team's biggest outside free agent signing, was a center at Iowa before the Bears selected him in the second round of the 2018 draft. He's appeared in 54 career games, making 48 starts, a number of them at center. Last season, he started all 17 games at right guard.
The Steelers have a hole at right guard after allowing 2021 starter Trai Turner to leave in free agency. But the team hasn't yet told Daniels where he fits into the equation.
"The position is still in talks. I'm not sure what position I'll be in," Daniels said. "I'm just excited to be here. Whatever position I can be in -- I do have experience at all three -- so I'm comfortable playing all three. Wherever the team needs me at, that's what position I'll play."
Cole has started games at center and guard in his four-year career, 39 in all.
He, on the other hand, would prefer to play center.
"If I had a choice, I'd pick center, but I'm confident about all three interior positions," Cole said.
Green struggled in 2021 as he learned to play the position on the fly. With Hassenauer and Finney missing so much time in camp, he won the job almost by default.
It seems this year that Daniels will be a starter at one of the three interior offensive line spots. The Steelers gave him a three-year, $26.5-million contract. They didn't do that for him to sit.
That would leave Green, Cole and third-year player Kevin Dotson to battle for the other two spots -- regardless of which ones they might be.
But the Steelers aren't going to get caught short at center again -- or guard, for that matter.
The Steelers started four different players at left guard from Week 10 on when Dotson went down with a season-ending ankle injury before Leglue settled in there.
• Linebacker Myles Jack was released by the Jaguars on Tuesday in a cost-cutting move.
No sooner had he been released than the former second-round draft pick started getting calls and inquiries.
The Steelers jumped into the process early.
Jack said he heard from both Mike Tomlin and defensive lineman Cam Heyward about why he should join the Steelers following his release from the Jaguars.
In fact, he heard from Heyward before the deal was done, then talked to Tomlin.
"He knew before I knew," Jack said of Heyward.
But the decision came down to what Tomlin had to say.
"He said we're trying to win a championship and that starts with defense," Jack said of his conversation with Tomlin.
That sealed the deal for Jack, who has been part of a Jaguars team that won just 15 games over the past four seasons.
"At the end of the day, I'm one of those people who loves football," Jack said. "When you lose so many games, it can steal that spirit. ... I'm excited to be uncomfortable again."
• Cornerback Levi Wallace, signed to a two-year, $8-million deal, had two of his six interceptions against the Steelers in the past three seasons, getting one each against Devlin Hodges in 2019 and Roethlisberger in 2020.
"The goal is to get picks on everybody," Wallace said. "I don't discriminate when it comes to the Steelers. At one point in time, they were my favorite team to play against."
After starting at corner on Alabama's 2017 national title team, Wallace went undrafted in 2018. He said his final choice came down to the Bills or Steelers.
"I was a fan of Pittsburgh and how they play defense here," Wallace said. "I picked Buffalo at the time because it was better for me in order for me to make a team and secure a starting spot. When Pittsburgh called, I was more than excited to come and play on another great defense."
Wallace made the Bills practice squad initially, but was elevated from the unit midway through the 2018 season and put in the starting lineup. He's started 52 games since.
“I don’t take no for an answer,” said Wallace. “I don’t let people’s limitations get put on me. People say I went undrafted. I say eighth round. That’s just been my story. Being a walk-on at Alabama and no one expecting me to start there ... and win a championship, let alone earn a scholarship. It’s the same here. I have that fighter’s mentality. I look forward to the challenge and I’m excited to take it on full-steam ahead.”
