The Steelers haven’t signed the first player yet, but they think they made a significant upgrade their offensive line.
General Manager Kevin Colbert told reporters that getting Mike Munchak on board as the line coach this offseason should have an immediate impact.
“It was real exciting to have the opportunity for him to join us,” Colbert said, via Scott Brown of ESPN.com. “I think [the players] will be all eyes and ears when you have a Hall of Famer talking to you and trying to teach you and I think they’re excited for that.”
The Steelers had plowed through three offensive line coaches under Mike Tomlin — Larry Zierlein, Sean Kugler and Jack Bicknell Jr. — and used some high picks on players there in recent years.
But the results haven’t always been indicative of the emphasis, and the former Titans head coach will be expected to work his magic on tackles Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert in particular. The Steelers shuffled those two around last season, even starting seventh-rounder Kelvin Beachum when their results were uneven.
“I don’t think coach Munchak was brought in for any one player,” Colbert said in reference to Adams. “You hope that he gets the most out of all your guts and obviously he has the credentials to do that.”
Getting Maurkice Pouncey back from injury and the development of former first-rounder David DeCastro will also help, as Munchak tries to fortify an area that’s been a liability in recent years.