What the Starks injury means

[mesaSteeler]

What the Starks injury means
Let the scrambling begin.
http://nflfromthesidelines.blogspot.com

With NFL.com reporting that Max Starks will be out a month with a high ankle sprain, the Steelers took a big hit on their offensive line.

Starks' injury leaves the Steelers without both players scheduled to be their starting offensive tackles coming out of mini-camp. Right tackle Willie Colon was lost prior to the opening of training camp with an Achilles' tendon tear.

The injury to Starks leaves the team with Jonathan Scott, who replaced Starks Sunday, Flozell Adams, signed to replace Colon, and Tony Hills as the only healthy tackles on the roster.

Starting right guard Trai Essex has also played tackle during his career, while second-year player Ramon Foster has lined up at right tackle in preseason games.

The early favorite to replace Starks in the next three games - the Steelers have a bye week in Week 5 - will be Hills.

He made big improvements during training camp this summer to make a push to earn a spot on the roster.

One emergency option for the Steelers would be to re-sign former starting center Justin Hartwig – who visited the Cincinnati Bengals Monday. That would allow the team to move Essex to left tackle, slide Maurkice Pouncey to right guard and insert Hartwig at center.

But that would be tearing up the entire line, so the first option will be using Scott or Hills.

posted by Dale Lolley at 5:39 PM 15 Comments Links to this post

[SteelKnight]

Originally Posted by mesaSteeler

One emergency option for the Steelers would be to re-sign former starting center Justin Hartwig – who visited the Cincinnati Bengals Monday. That would allow the team to move Essex to left tackle, slide Maurkice Pouncey to right guard and insert Hartwig at center.



posted by Dale Lolley at 5:39 PM 15 Comments Links to this post

This is a stupid thing for Dale Lolly to say...just stupid. Sure...why don't we weaken the middle again and mess up 3 positions by delaying Pouncey's development, delaying Esses's development, and providing a weak LT.

If they wanted to move Essex to LT, they would just insert Foster at RG...please. If that's the case, Hills doesn't belong on this team.