Give up?

Believe it or not “Steeler Nation,” but if you guessed “Max Starks,” you would be correct!

Starks has been a fixture with the Steelers since 2004. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

That’s right readers, Starks not only started all 16 of Pittsburgh’s regular season games at the Offensive Line’s most important spot (Left Tackle), but one could argue that he was Pittsburgh’s most consistent and effective Offensive Lineman all year long.

Despite his solid effort this past year, Starks does not believe that he will be coming back for a 10th season in “The Steel City,” even after one of the best seasons of his career from a run-blocking and pass-protecting standpoint.  In a recent interview with Mike Bires of “The Beaver County Times” (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com), Starks shared his thoughts on the prospects of him sticking with the Steelers in 2013:

“Anytime you draft tackles in the second round in back-to-back years, I think it’s their plan to have them as the starting left and right tackles in the future.  That’s their goal.  So being a realist, I am not expecting to be back.”

Would it be nice to see Marcus Gilbert and Mike Adams step-up and emerge as the team’s starting Left and Right Tackles next year?  Heck yes it would.  If both could play the entire season together (16 regular season games, plus hopefully playoffs) and develop into a pair of solid book-ends to make the veteran Starks expendable during this crucial rebuilding process, I would be downright overjoyed.

Unfortunately, I live in a little place called “reality.”  And I know that asking for a season without injuries along the Steelers’ Offensive Line is a pretty tall order, especially over the last half decade in which assorted ailments have plagued Pittsburgh’s players in the trenches.

If you readers care to remember, Craig and I expressed last Summer why it would be in the Steelers’ best interests to re-up the former Florida Gator to a veteran 1 year deal.  Few agreed with us and our thoughts on Starks being a steady insurance policy, especially after he sustained a knee injury during Pittsburgh’s Wild Card Playoff Loss to Denver last January.  But just like clock-work, once the preseason began Pittsburgh’s Offensive Linemen began dropping like flies due to injuries.  Thankfully for Pittsburgh, all Max did was come in and play effective football and protect the Steelers’ signal-callers blind-side’s throughout the regular season.

Because quality depth and health remain such areas of concern along the Steelers’ Offensive Line, I believe that G.M. Kevin Colbert should at least attempt to re-up Starks for “one last go-around” with the franchise in the neighborhood of a 1 year $1-1.25 million deal (his contract last season was worth $890,000).  In fact, I hope that if the Steelers do re-up Starks that the starting Left Tackle position is open to competition during this offseason.  That way, Pittsburgh will give the Top 3 Tackles (Starks, Gilbert, and Adams) on their depth chart the opportunity to win the blind-side job outright.  As I alluded to before, I would love to see these younger players and high Draft selections like Gilbert and Adams have to stay hungry and fight for a chance to start, especially after such an under-achieving and injury-plagued season like this past one was.  Maybe the extra heat on the 2nd and 3rd year players will inspire them to take their collective games’ to new levels and leave the veteran on the sidelines.

Health permitting next season, the Steelers must find a way to play the best player at each position along the Offensive front, regardless of age and experience.  Thus, if Max is yet again believed to be the best option the team will have available at Left Tackle, they should go with him until Starks either calls it quits, or a younger player usurps him, not simply going with them because of their “Draft Status.”

As it stands now, I believe that there is no harm in the Steelers attempting to sign Starks to another one year contract in the neighborhood of $1 million dollars this offseason.  Best case scenario, Max wrestles the Left Tackle job away from Adams and Gilbert.  Worst case scenario, Starks is a quality “Swing” backup at the Left and Right Tackle positions and stands as a steady veteran presence for the young players along the Offensive Line.

Yet if another team offers Starks more money and/or a starting job outright this offseason, then I say more power to him and “Thank You” for 9 years, 123 Regular Season Games, 96 Starts, and the opportunity to watch 2 Super Bowl wins.  I just believe that it would be unwise for the Steelers’ brass to simply dismiss a player like Starks so easily, especially when the “O-Line Issues” have yet to be fully solved.

Plus, what’s wrong with having a “steady, safe, and largely inexpensive” insurance policy like Starks at your team’s disposal at such an important position?

Stats & Contract Information Courtesy of: Pro Football Reference.com and Spotrac.com

Adams has not fared well so far against pass rushers. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-US PRESSWIRE

Granted, it is definitely more of an exception than the norm for a team to start a Rookie at Left Tackle in Week 1 of any regular season.  Nevertheless, the Steelers appeared all but ready to hand the “Blindside Protector” spot over to their 2012 2nd Round draft pick Mike Adams as they entered OTA’s and Training Camp.  Unfortunately, the former Buckeye has played like a Rookie thus far into the preseason, banged up his knee a bit, and has played inconsistent/looked lost at times when matched up against 1st and 2nd stringers.

The regular season showdown in the Mile High City only 18 days away, and “Gunslingin” Dumervil and Von Miller are ready to wreak havoc again off the edge.  With the struggles, the injury, the stage, and the future competition in mind, the Steelers have some important choices to make concerning the Tackle position:

Should they start the Rookie Adams?  Or will they go with another Tackle in his place?  If so, which guys should play where and why?

I personally believe that if the Steelers decide to let Adams rest up, develop more, and rehab from his injury fully, the team has options to exercise for the time being and can benefit in the process.  I have listed two starting Offensive Line combinations which the Steelers can employ without Adams, and I will further discuss why these lineups could help the team if they choose to not play Adams come Week 1.

Combination #1

(LT) Marcus Gilbert, (LG) Willie Colon, (C) Maurkice Pouncey, (RG) David DeCastro, (RT) Ramon Foster

If you readers do not recall, Marcus Gilbert was originally slated to start at Left Tackle this season.  In fact, the 2nd Year man from Florida also saw time there during OTA’s and Training Camp, and even got some work there in the Wild Card playoff loss this past January.  Overall, Gilbert started 14 total games during his Rookie season, and the experience which he gained during a year where it appeared he would have to sit and develop was invaluable to all parties involved in his development.  While Gilbert has not started a regular season game at Left Tackle for the team so far, he still has been thought of as a viable option for the team to use at the position.  Plus, with a year of regular season experience already gained, Gilbert is much farther along in his development than Adams currently is at the moment.

As far as Foster’s experience at Right Tackle goes, the former Tennessee Volunteer started 26 games during his final two seasons in college.  And while Foster has played a majority of time during his three seasons the pro level at both Guard spots, the guy at least has some sort of experience under his belt at the Tackle position.  Truth be told, I was actually pleased with Offensive Line Coach Sean Kugler’s decision to give Foster time at Right Tackle to start Sunday night’s game, but at Left Guard as well.  Both positions feature starters which have either had injury issues (Willie Colon) or are at risk of being switched elsewhere because of uncertainty somewhere else (Marcus Gilbert).  For insurance purposes, I would like to see Foster see extended time at both spots during the rest of the preseason contests, and I hope that the Coaching Staff feels the same way as I do.

Together, Foster and Gilbert did a solid enough job against the Colts when they were lined up at Right and Left Tackle respectively.  They kept Big Ben from being destroyed and managed to help get the ground game going led by Jonathan Dwyer and Co..  More reps are needed by both players at both positions, and it will be up to the Coaching Staff to determine whether or not both players have a future at either spot.  While I would not mind seeing this pairing lined up in Week 1, there is one other Offensive Line combination which could benefit the team as well.

Combination #2

(LT) Max Starks, (LG) Willie Colon, (C) Maurkice Pouncey, (RG) David DeCastro, (RT) Marcus Gilbert

To those of you which decried the move (and mine and Craig’s support of said move) to resign veteran Tackle Max Starks (80 career starts) for insurance purposes, let me just take the time to issue a quick “I told you so.” before I proceed.  Look what has happened recently.  Oh yeah, some of the scenarios which I alluded to in my past posts: injuries have struck, and Adams is hurt/not playing up to standard.  Now that Big #78 is no longer on the PUP List, Starks could very well begin to see some playing time in Pittsburgh’s next preseason contest.  And who knows?  Starks could very well be protecting Big Ben’s blindside come the time the team takes the field at Mile High Stadium (or whatever they are calling it now).  Of course, Starks’ ability to play however will all hinge on his recently surgically repaired knee.  Thus, the veteran should only be inserted into the lineup if and only if the Steelers and Big Ben are fully confident that he is athletically up to play come Week 1.

Also helping the “Max Starks at Left Tackle scenario” is the fact that Marcus Gilbert can stand pat, stay comfortable, and man the Right Tackle position for a second consecutive season.  Gilbert will have some continuity and could remain there as long as Starks can stay off the injury list/Adams can return to form.  In addition, Adams can be the team’s top backup, learn at his own pace with little to no pressure, and heal in the process as well.  Plus, Foster can be the top backup at the Guard spots and play in case Colon gets injured again or DeCastro has some issues too.

It will be interesting to see how healthy Starks is over the next two weeks, and should make for a good storyline.  If he proves that his knee can hold up, I would personally lean towards starting a veteran like Starks, especially because he has the trust of Big Ben and has played in big situations before.

Final Thoughts

My argument that Adams should not start Week 1 in Denver has more to do with what is in the best interests of the team right now, not what his future with the club will ultimately be.  Starting as a Rookie in the National Football League is a tall order to say the least, and many players which turn out to be Pro Bowl players ride the pine and develop their talented skill-sets until they are ready.  Heck, Adams could be starting by midseason and should even be putting together more consistent performances by the end of the year.  But as of right now, Week 3 of the preseason, Pittsburgh should really begin to explore the options of inserting Starks and/or Foster into their starting lineup until the Rookie’s play improves.

I will give Adams the benefit of the doubt from his performance against the Colts because of his sore knee.  Injuries happen and performances suffer because of it.  Yet if Adams cannot keep the Colts’ backups at bay, heaven forbid what happens when Miller and Dumervil are lined up across from him.  Big Ben could get seriously hurt if Adams struggles with pass protection as much as he has over the last two weeks, and the Steelers might want to consider all of their options at the Tackle positions before they head into a hostile environment with hungry pass rushers during the opening week.

Stats Courtesy of: Pro Football Reference.com

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Baron Batch had 8 carries for 19 yards, but was he good enough to be an offensive star for the night? Credit: Jason Bridge-US PRESSWIRE

The Steelers looked to rebound a bit after falling flat against the Eagles offensively last week during their preseason matchup against the Colts on Sunday.  There were a few players who needed to step up their performances, and I pointed them out in a post prior to the game.  Let’s take a look at them and a few others who had notable performances.

The biggest question on almost everyone’s collective Steeler Nation brain was whether Mike Adams could effectively block at left tackle.  Confidence was not high right from the beginning as Marcus Gilbert started at LT through the 1st quarter.  When Adams finally entered the game a series into the 2nd quarter, he was tested early and struggled.  Adams stood quickly after the snap and appeared to try and overcompensate for his lack to take the edge away during the Eagles game.  The Colts linebackers were able to engage Adams and quickly cut inside with a straight shot to Big Ben or Charlie Batch.  Things settled down late in the game for Adams but by then it the third team was already out for the Colts.  Things are looking pretty bleak for Adams and his chances at becoming the starting LT on Week 1.  The stock is certainly rising for Max Starks, who hasn’t even played a snap since coming off the PUP, and hopefully the big fella can start practicing soon.

Another big question for the Steelers offense was how Will Johnson would fit into the fullback position with the abrupt exit of David Johnson due to injury.  If there was ever someone to step up and speak loud and clearly that they deserved to be on this Steelers roster, it was WJ with his performance Sunday.  WJ immediately made his case in the first series.  Johnson did a great job engaging his assignments – he sealed his blocks and prevented his assignment from getting at Dwyer, Batch, or Rainey.  There were even a few plays in which he was able to get low enough on a linebacker to push him back off the line of scrimmage.  He only had one carry for no gain, but his blocking was superb.  I was thoroughly impressed, as this was his first NFL game experience.  Chalk up WJ as a player who was an offensive star.

Antonio Brown only had two catches on Sunday, but he made one of them put six on the scoreboard.  On what was really just a routine up and out sideline route, Brown made the most of his catch and took it to the endzone for a 57 yard scoring scamper.  I don’t really like Cris Collinsworth, but he was dead on when he said that Brown brought out the ‘punter returner in himself’ during the run back.  He dipped and ducked around potential tacklers and splashed into the endzone.  The catch and run had me thinking aloud, ‘That’s a good start to earning that paycheck, AB!  Mike Wallace who?!’  Brown certainly doesn’t have Wallace’s lighting speed, but his ability to run with the ball post catch makes up for his inability to burn past defenders in a 40.  I’ll be looking forward to seeing more of those kinds of plays from Ben and AB.

A bit of a surprise from Sunday night’s game against the Colts came late when newly signed RB Jason Ford.  Similar in size and stature, Jason Ford evoked Jerome Bettis like running.  Hines Ward joined the press box late in the game and began calling Ford ‘mini-Bus’ after seeing him hit a wall of tacklers at the line of scrimmage and spin his way out for another chunk of yards.  Ford collected 42 yards on 8 carries and was one yard shy of being the lead rusher for the evening.  Ford just signed with the Steelers mid-week and barely practiced with the team.  He is certainly a surprise and puts a pleasant wrinkle into the running back race.

Other things to take note of:  Jerrod Johnson did pretty well last night at quarterback and had me wondering where was Leftwich?  Byron was suited up but did not take a snap after Charlie Batch exited late in the game.  He’s kind of like Dennis Dixon, but a bit taller and more poised in the pocket – for now.  The replacement refs are abysmal.  They called a phantom chop block on Chris Rainey in the 2nd half.  Mike Adams was the only lineman near Rainey and was already engaged with another Colts defenseman.  There’s no way that Adams was engaged in two players at once.  The call was bunk and pretty obvious at that.  The refs got another call wrong when when the allowed a touchdown when Andrew Luck slid into the endzone for a supposed score.  Replay showed that Luck started his slide a yard prior to the goal line.  It was 4th down, and the Steelers would have taken the ball back on downs.  The play previously was called back from being a touchdown with the automatic review rule on a scoring play.  What is really strange is that Luck’s slide was never reviewed even though it was a scoring play.

There's an opening on the RB roster. If Batch wants to fill it, he needs to start showing he can tonight against the Colts. Credit: Vincent Pugliese-US PRESSWIRE

Injuries for the Steelers are already causing roster shuffles during the preseason.  Some players have already been locked into roster spots.  That said, this preseason game against the Colts will be a big barometer of how the team is progressing in certain areas – especially the Haley and the offense.  It’s also a time when some players who are now given an opportunity to shine while in the spotlight.

There are a few key players whom I feel have a chance to seize the moment they’ve been given by playing in tonight’s game against the Colts: Chris Carter, Will Johnson, Mike Adams, Curtis Brown, Baron Batch.

Chris Carter: With James Harrison and Jason Worilds out for a while, someone will need to line up opposite of LaMarr Woodley.  Deebo has been plagued by injuries for the last two seasons.  Perhaps the scoped knee will help him for the better, but the Steelers may see the exit of one of the most feared LB’s in the NFL happen sooner rather than later.  Carter was drafted last season and saw limited action.  Steven Sylvester and Adrian Robinson will also be hungry to step up this week against the Colts, but Carter is in a better position to turn heads should he have a solid game and maybe wrap his arms around Luck.

Will Johnson:  Johnson has been showing all camp long that he is a consistent ball carrier and run blocker.  With David Johnson out for the season, Will is in prime position to lock up the FB spot.  He needs to shine in order to push guys like Jamie McCoy and Jason Ford out of the picture.  He also needs to put a lot of confidence in Haley that he is indeed the one for the fullback spot.

Mike Adams:  Adams struggled in the first preseason game against the Eagles.  Max Starks has been signed and had been practicing.  We probably won’t see any of Starks at all this week against the Colts.  That means it’s time for Adams to step up and show that he was deserved of that pick by the Steelers in the second round of the draft.  If he can’t impress this week and show signs of improvement, then Starks will quickly work his way into that spot.  Adams is sure to be tested against the Colts’ OLB’s tonight.

Curtis Brown:  Brown gave up two touchdown passes against the Eagles last week.  At the start of camp he, Cortez Allen and Keenan Lewis were all in the running for the #2 corner spot after WWW (Will Willie William) Gay left the Steelers.  Lewis is locked at the #2 spot now, and Dick LeBeau told reporters that Allen is the nickel back.  And while that means Brown is at the bottom of the roster, he still needs to show he is worth something to this defense if he doesn’t want to be just stuck in special teams for the next season.  The Steelers are bound to have numerous dime looks this season, and Brown should be able to fill that spot over someone like Cromartie-Smith (even though Smith is a safety).

Baron Batch:  Redman is out against the Colts.  John Clay is shelved.  Mendenhall is off the PUP but won’t have a game situation for a while.  Chris Rainey already showed last week that he will be worth keeping around.  The running backs list will get cut down by Week 1, and Batch needs to make sure he can stay on the roster.  The young man turned heads early in camp last season but went out with a season ending ACL injury.  He has yet to have the same type of performance as last season.  It will be the Batch, Dwyer and Rainey show tonight.  If Batch wants to remain on this team, he’ll need to have a good night tonight.

Time for Ben to find his own jersey....

Steelers veteran left tackle Max Starks hit the practice field for the first time since tearing his ACL.  Rookie left tackle Mike Adams also returned from his knee injury he suffered last week against the Eagles.  And, while it’s not The Octagon, this battle for left tackle just got interesting.

I’m not yet convinced that Mike Adams is the guy for the starting job.  Yet.  He’ll get there, but his poor showing against the Eagles is a cause for concern.  Enter trusty Max Starks.  Starks, though criticized for his age and size, entered last season overweight and out of shape from his most recent injury.  After being cut by the Steelers, he was resigned part way through as a final play by the team to improve the awful offensive line.  Starks, who hadn’t really practiced or taken a snap for months shined in his return.  He continued to have Ben Roethlisberger’s back the rest of the year until he went down with an ACL at the end of the season.  Starks is a solid choice at left tackle and has a realistic chance of taking that roll away from Adams.

So who will the Steelers start against the Colts on Sunday?  Does Adams get a second nod and chance to prove that he deserves that spot?  Or do the Steelers go with Starks to see if he can still handle game speed?  If Starks doesn’t start on Sunday, I would think the Steelers would put him in fairly early in the game.  Adams and Starks may share time in the 1st quarter so the coaches can asses how both men handle the 1st team defense of the Colts.  With Freeny and Mathis of the Colts still playing at a high level, both Adams and Starks will be tested often and early.