Ben Roethlisberger is used to being greeted by new faces when training camp begins. Happens every year, not just to the Pittsburgh Steelers but every team in the NFL.
Never since his rookie season, however, has Roethlisberger encountered so many newcomers lining up in front of him on the offensive line.
When the Steelers conducted their first workout Thursday at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, Maurkice Pouncey was nowhere to be found. Neither was Alejandro Villanueva, David DeCastro or Matt Feiler — a quartet of players who combined for 31 years of experience with the Steelers.
Lining up in front of Roethlisberger on Thursday was a rookie center, a right guard who still was a free agent a month ago and a right tackle who spent all but one game last year on injured reserve. The left tackle who took limited snaps Thursday played on the right side last year, and the anticipated starter at left guard stood and watched because of a minor injury.
Not exactly the model of stability Roethlisberger was used to playing behind for much of the past decade.
“It’s tough (losing) all those guys,” Roethlisberger said, rattling off the names of the departed veterans. “It’s not easy, but we’ve got guys who are willing, capable and excited to fill the roles and be the best they can be.”
A retooled offensive line was anticipated after the Steelers finished last in rushing in 2020 and Roethlisberger had so little pass protection that he had the quickest release time of any NFL quarterback. And the Steelers acted quickly to switch position coaches, promoting Adrian Klemm to replace Shaun Sarrett.
Still, nobody could have expected the Steelers to essentially field new starters at all five positions in 2021, a circumstance that was solidified after June minicamp when DeCastro was released and Trai Turner was signed to take his place at right guard.
“I’ve been blessed to have some older guys, and guys who have been here numerous years,” Roethlisberger said. “To not have that is definitely different, but it’s just Day 1.”
Chuks Okorafor will start at left tackle after manning right tackle for 15 starts last season following Zach Banner’s ACL tear in the season opener. Second-year guard Kevin Dotson is expected to take over for Feiler at left guard. At center, the Steelers will have a three-way competition to replace Pouncey, who retired in February.
Will this group be better?
“We don’t have the bar set real high,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “We were last in the league in rushing. We have nowhere to go but up from certain aspects. It’s not something we fear.”
According to NFL Network research, only three teams in the past 30 years opened the season essentially with new starters at all five offensive line position. And change wasn’t exactly a bad thing for those teams. The 2004 Chargers went 12-4 and the 2015 Chiefs finished 11-5. Even the 2014 Dolphins were 8-8.
“We’ve got capable guys,” Tomlin said. “There’s an expectation here that those guys are going to deliver. I’m not going to be surprised when they do. As a matter of fact, we expect them to. You can write a rags-to-riches tale … like we’re starting at ground zero or in the basement, but we don’t see it that way.”
Tomlin is giving rookie third-round draft pick Kendrick Green the first crack at earning Pouncey’s old job. Green worked with the first-team offense Thursday. Even though Tomlin cautioned it was just to get Green prepared to start in the Hall of Fame Game in two weeks, it could be a sign of things to come.
“He’s got a passion for the game, a passion to be the starting center,” Roethlisberger said. “He knows the roles and shoes he is filling. He stayed here during the break (since minicamp) and worked and met with coaches. I checked in on him. He’s taking this personal.
“He wants to be the best. He doesn’t want there to be a dropoff, and that’s a good attitude to take.”
In addition to dealing with new linemen in new positions, Roethlisberger had to continue grasping the new verbiage in first-year offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s playbook. It’s the biggest change in terminology for Roethlisberger in his 18-year career, and he said his daughter has made flashcards to help him remember plays.
“It was as much of a mental offseason as it was physical in terms of learning new things,” Roethlisberger said. “You talk about percentage of ‘new,’ with run-game formations. It’s a high percentage of ‘new.’”
And after the first workout was over, Roethlisberger wasn’t exactly brimming with confidence in his knowledge of the terminology.
“Not even close,” he said. “If you see, I was looking at the wristband quite a bit. We all are. We’re all trying to pick it up and figure it out. New isn’t always bad. It’s just new.”
Joe Rutter is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joe by email at [email protected] or via Twitter .
