Steelers working on extension for guard David DeCastro

[K Train]

We've seen this line without Decasto and without Pouncey.

This line was quite good without Pouncey. Without Decastro it was not good.
As Decastro goes so does this line.
I never thought Pouncey was worth his coin, we need to pay Decastro.

I disagree....the line last year was pretty good, but would have probably been great with pouncey. For how good they were as a unit, Cody Wallace was not good.

Pouncey and Decastro are an extremely good tandem on the inside. Foster Foster is a wonderful pass blocker, Decastro is a wonderful run blocker, and pouncey is pretty well rounded...they compliment each other beautifully.

When Decastro was hurt Marcus Gilbert was not nearly as good as he is now, i believe the line was a patch work job with Legursky and a lethargic max starks and we didnt have Mike Munchak, who is the absolute truth when it comes to offensive line coaching.

Arians said it best that pouncey is not injury prone or soft at all, his injuries are because he is so good blocking at the next level that guys are falling all over him trying to get to the ball carrier. May be something they want to address, but no one blocks down field like decastro and pouncey. Both are worth extensions, its just a matter of we'd all like to see both of them play together for extended time which has been a struggle so far

[phillyesq]

According to Steelers Depot, the NFLPA website that tracks salaries just reported that Marcus Gilbert just restructured his contract and gave the team $2.3M more in cap space.

[URL]http://www.steelersdepot.com/2016/08/steelers-restructure-contract-t-marcus-gilbert/[/URL]

We may hear something about DeCastro soon

A DD extension should create a small amount of cap space or, at worst, be cap neutral. The restructuring of Gilbert was likely done to create room for Vince Williams.

[Shoe]

I disagree....the line last year was pretty good, but would have probably been great with pouncey. For how good they were as a unit, Cody Wallace was not good.

Pouncey and Decastro are an extremely good tandem on the inside. Foster Foster is a wonderful pass blocker, Decastro is a wonderful run blocker, and pouncey is pretty well rounded...they compliment each other beautifully.

When Decastro was hurt Marcus Gilbert was not nearly as good as he is now, i believe the line was a patch work job with Legursky and a lethargic max starks and we didnt have Mike Munchak, who is the absolute truth when it comes to offensive line coaching.

Arians said it best that pouncey is not injury prone or soft at all, his injuries are because he is so good blocking at the next level that guys are falling all over him trying to get to the ball carrier. May be something they want to address, but no one blocks down field like decastro and pouncey. Both are worth extensions, its just a matter of we'd all like to see both of them play together for extended time which has been a struggle so far

I'm superstitious, so I don't like when I feel so sure about something like I do the O-line. You're right: Munchak is the man. When you combine him, with a Villanueva-Foster-Pouncey-Decastro-Gilbert line?

[Captain Lemming]

I disagree....the line last year was pretty good, but would have probably been great with pouncey. For how good they were as a unit, Cody Wallace was not good.

Pouncey and Decastro are an extremely good tandem on the inside. Foster Foster is a wonderful pass blocker, Decastro is a wonderful run blocker, and pouncey is pretty well rounded...they compliment each other beautifully.

When Decastro was hurt Marcus Gilbert was not nearly as good as he is now, i believe the line was a patch work job with Legursky and a lethargic max starks and we didnt have Mike Munchak, who is the absolute truth when it comes to offensive line coaching.

Arians said it best that pouncey is not injury prone or soft at all, his injuries are because he is so good blocking at the next level that guys are falling all over him trying to get to the ball carrier. May be something they want to address, but no one blocks down field like decastro and pouncey. Both are worth extensions, its just a matter of we'd all like to see both of them play together for extended time which has been a struggle so far

Pouncey is GREAT at downfield blocking true. Quick and athletic.
Actually even USED TO BE BETTER downfield when he first arrived before his first major injury.
He is also very good at pass blocking because of his feet.

However, he has NEVER been great at moving big bodies in the interior which I why I have always called him overrated.

He is good but not as GREAT as people think. I dont think he was worth the top money he got. The fact that when he got replaced by scrubs TWICE in his career we hardly felt it even improved in some areas shows without a doubt he is not irreplaceable.

[Captain Lemming]

I'm superstitious, so I don't like when I feel so sure about something like I do the O-line. You're right: Munchak is the man. When you combine him, with a Villanueva-Foster-Pouncey-Decastro-Gilbert line?

We HAD THAT minus Villa (the weakest link) already in 2014. The line was fine. Not much better than last season though.

[Captain Lemming]

Remember that acronym people used when we predictably ran up the middle before Decastro arrived?
Funny thing no matter how much we run up the middle, you dont hear that nowadays. Why?

[Captain Lemming]

Another thing. Why is Bell so successful with Pouncey?
Dude is freakishsly PATIENT.

When the hole is NOT THERE (which happens WAY TOO MUCH if you have TWO great interior linemen) he stops an GOES around the clogged interior.
Remember "spinderella" Mendenhall and the bashing HE TOOK for not just hitting the hole? Tell me why did he do that?

[K Train]

Pouncey is GREAT at downfield blocking true. Quick and athletic.
Actually even USED TO BE BETTER downfield when he first arrived before his first major injury.
He is also very good at pass blocking because of his feet.

However, he has NEVER been great at moving big bodies in the interior which I why I have always called him overrated.

He is good but not as GREAT as people think. I dont think he was worth the top money he got. The fact that when he got replaced by scrubs TWICE in his career we hardly felt it even improved in some areas shows without a doubt he is not irreplaceable.

WE hardly felt it? lol

Maybe not in the W/L column as fans, but whether is was mendenhall, redman, or bell that ran into someone in the backfield because legs or wallace got blown up....those moments count

Not having pouncey effects the QB, the playcalling, and the outcome of games. He may have been overrated early in his career, but he was so overrated that he became underrated and no one even acknowledges how much better he has gotten. A top 3 center prior to his last injury, hopefully he remains in that tier

[K Train]

We HAD THAT minus Villa (the weakest link) already in 2014. The line was fine. Not much better than last season though.

But wouldnt you expect year two to be even better than year one when they were all working together for the first time under the new blocking scheme?

I'll take Munchaks word for it in addition to my longtime fanboy mentality towards pouncey...they wouldnt have resigned him if munchak said he could do without him, munchak went to bat for him.

Pouncey is also a tremendous leader for the line, calls out formations, and brings that "fiery attitude" that everyone always complains the steelers lack

[Captain Lemming]

WE hardly felt it? lol
Maybe not in the W/L column as fans, but whether is was mendenhall, redman, or bell that ran into someone in the backfield because legs or wallace got blown up....those moments count

"Hardly felt it" is right my friend.
Wallace is an absolute scrub, NEVERTHELESS....
Our running backs did less "running into someone" in the backfield last season as evidenced by the HIGHEST YARDS PER CARRY in Pounceys career.
When everybody KNEW we needed short yardage, old man Deangelo LEAD THE CONFERENCE in touchdown runs, often right up the gut.

You know when we ROUTINELY got blown up in the backfield?
WHEN DECASTRO WAS SUITING UP FOR STANFORD.

This season we had 16 rushing touchdowns.
That has NEVER happened with Pouncey. Not once.
The last time we did that JEFF HARTINGS was our center next to Alan Faneca, blocking for Jerome Bettis and fast Willie in his prime.

This season we have Decastro next to .....Wallace as center blocking for a 30 something scatback who is half a decade away from his last good season.

Decastro is BY FAR AND AWAY the best lineman on this team.

Our interior run game was as good as it has been since Bettis with a garbage center.

We could afford a "average" center and be fine without paying Pouncey a boatload of coin.