3 moves Steelers have better chance to make after cutting Allen Robinson
By Mark Powell
2. Steelers could sign a center rather than drafting one
The Steelers are in the market for a new center after cutting Mason Cole, who played below average last season by most metrics. They could select a center in the first round, but Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin would prefer a player proven at the position. That's where Mitch Morse comes in.
Morse just visited the Steelers days after being cut by the Buffalo Bills. Morse was in the final year of a two-year, $14.5 million contract, and Buffalo cut him for cap relief. That's not necessarily an insult to Morse, as he's widely-regarded as a top tier pass blocker. Buffalo had to cut cap in a big way with a flurry of moves which included letting Jordan Poyer and Tre'Davious White walk. Matt Conner of Still Curtain outlined the Steelers need, and Morse's strengths in a recent article.
"The good news Morse brings to any new team is a strong reputation as a proven pass blocker. Morse has been a high-quality lineman up front for a prolific Bills' offense, and he made his first and only Pro Bowl a year ago, his eighth season in the league...Morse, who will be 32 years old next month, has started in 126 regular season games in his nine-year NFL career, including all 17 last season for Buffalo."
The alternative for Pittsburgh would be to select a center early in the draft. While they had success in doing so previously thanks to Maurkice Pouncey, not every first-round center turns out that good. Pouncey was a staple with the Steelers for a decade. There's no guarantee Jackson Powers-Johnson will have the same level of success.