The Steelers Have To Have Some Master Plan Behind Releasing David DeCastro
Whoa. There were whispers, but seeing it in writing definitely still hit home big time. Another tough, sad day to be a Steelers fan in the 2021 offseason - especially for the offensive line.
First the stalwart C of over a decade Maurkice Pouncey hangs them up. Now his righthand pal on the line is let go. Tons of question marks have been filling my head since I read the news. The main one - what is Colbert's master plan here because he has to have one. Has to. You don't commit to your aging quarterback the way you have the last two years then let go a veteran lineman like DeCastro unless you do.
The first answer is, obviously, money. DeCastro being released now frees up over $8 million in cap space with a month still left until training camp. Now the Steelers have about $15 million more than what they expected to invest in some of the holes they have, and definitely just opened even more, on the offensive line. Something like...
Dial him up Colbert and Mike T. Because right now you currently don't have a right guard. Not one you'd feel at all good about going into the season at least. As it currently sits, here's how your Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line shapes up if Week 1 was this Sunday.
LT - Chuks Okorafor
LG - Kevin Dotson
C - Kendrick Green
RG - ? (followed by BJ Finney)
RT - Zach Banner
So to recap, dude who has bounced from position, a guy who would be playing his first full season as a starter, a literal rookie, who knows, and a guy coming off an ACL tear.
Not great.
But alas, this Sunday is not week 1. It's not even close. $15 million in the pocket with a chance to sign a guy like Turner, a Melvin Ingram on the other side of the ball, and suddenly an aging, injured David DeCastro not being out there at training camp doesn't seem as bad.
Shout out to David DeCastro, too. Big shoutout. Dude came in playing the same position, wearing the same number as soon to be inducted Hall of Famer Alan Faneca and he made everyone proud and then some. An absolute lock and menace on that right side of the line, especially when he was pulling for some of the best offenses in Steelers history. All while keeping his mouth shut and head down, and if you even breathed on Big Ben the wrong way he'd take your fucking head off, almost literally. A real Pittsburgh kinda guy.