Steelers 2-a-days: Kendrick Green demoted headed into Year 2, Chaz Green veteran OT depth

Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, the Trib will be running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2022 season. The breakdown will go through the roster in mostly-alphabetical order, two per day, between June 11 and July 25. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

OL CHAZ GREEN

Experience: 39 games over 5 seasons since being drafted in 2015

Contract status: $895,000 cap hit in 2022 if he makes the team

2022 outlook: With one of the youngest position groups at offensive line in the NFL headed into last season, the Steelers signed Green a week before training camp began to add some veteran experience at tackle. The Steelers became Green’s sixth team he’d been employed by; the two games he played for them made the Steelers the fourth NFL team he played a regular-season snap for.

But there were only four such snaps for Green in 2021 – and all were on special teams. Most of his season was spent on the practice squad. Joe Haeg and Zach Banner were above him in the pecking order of the Steelers’ tackle depth chart after starters Chuks Okorafor and Dan Moore Jr.

A similar situation exists during the Steelers’ 2022 training camp for Green, who now is 30 years old and competing with Haeg and recently-signed Trent Scott to serve a backup role.

Crisper snaps for rookie C Kendrick Green to be tested when #Steelers play Chiefs at raucous Arrowhead https://t.co/k1VBkFCrHt

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) December 26, 2021

G/C KENDRICK GREEN

Experience: 2^nd season

Contract status: $1.108 million cap hit in 2022, signed through 2024

2022 outlook: Kendrick Green started as a rookie. But as things stand now, he’s not expected to in Year 2.

The Steelers took Green in the third round of last year’s draft with eyes he could be the next in line of Hall of Famers they’ve had at center dating back almost a half century – Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson and Maurkice Pouncey, who retired in early 2021. But Green never appeared completely comfortable in transitioning from college guard (where he made 29 of his 33 starts at Illinois) to NFL center. While he wasn’t awful, far too often the 315-pound Green seemed to lack strength against the bigger interior defensive linemen.

The Steelers’ run game struggled in part because of Green. So by the end of the season, Green was watching from the sidelines while J.C. Hassenauer started the final three games (including playoffs). While a calf injury contributed to the position switch, Green’s less-than-stellar performance played a role.

That also led to the Steelers signing veteran Mason Cole in free agency. During organized team activities and minicamp, Cole was taking first-team reps at center, while Green was relegated to second-string left guard. Although returning starter Kevin Dotson said he was in competition with Green for his spot, all indications are Dotson has a significant lead in that race.

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