Tim Benz: David DeCastro understands O-line changes for 2020, braces for more in '21

Amidst two years of non-playoff results, significant injury and roster tumult on the Pittsburgh Steelers offense, one thing has remained relatively steady.

The offensive line.

Change is coming in 2020, however. Alejandro Villanueva will remain as the left tackle. Center Maurkice Pouncey and right guard David DeCastro will look to follow up Pro Bowl seasons on the interior as well.

But with Ramon Foster retiring at left guard, Matt Feiler will switch to that position. Either Chukwuma Okorafor or Zach Banner will take over Feiler’s right tackle spot. Longtime center/guard backup B.J. Finney went to Seattle via free agency. So the Steelers signed veteran journeyman Stefen Wisniewski to fill that void. And they drafted guard Kevin Dotson in the fourth round.

“Moving Matt back inside (and keeping) the other two in familiar positions where they’ve played before is the right thing to do,” offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner said last month. “Especially given the fact that we have lost all these reps (because of the covid-19 adjustments).

“Both (Okorafor and Banner) have been playing in football games, and, to a degree, have had equal success and are exciting young players.”

Well, the “success” Okorafor had was in one start last year against the Los Angeles Rams and 155 snaps the year before. Those primarily happened as an extra lineman, aside from an emergency start against the Denver Broncos. As for Banner, he has 243 snaps in Pittsburgh under his belt, mainly in that extra-tackle capacity as well.

I would’ve preferred to see Feiler stay at tackle — where he was solid last season — and have Wisniewski and Dotson battle it out at left guard. I’m not sure why they invested free agent dollars and draft stock in those two just to move Feiler to guard anyway.

But the Steelers decided to go this direction instead. DeCastro is the right guard who’ll have to start next to whoever wins that job.

“I’m going to miss (Feiler) at right tackle,” DeCastro said Monday. “I had a really good time playing with him last year. But it’s best for the group for him to be a left guard. It’s a good choice.”

Feiler has played some guard in the past, starting in DeCastro’s spot in the 2017 finale against the Cleveland Browns.

“Matt is very intelligent,” Fichtner said. “Matt is very physical. Matt had a hell of a football season last year. He’s going to be successful whether he’s inside or out.”

At 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds, Feiler looks more like a tackle than a guard. But DeCastro described Feiler as looking more “stocky and ‘anchorish’” than before. Traits that DeCastro says will help Feiler when dealing with thicker interior defensive linemen.

“You bulk up a little bit. Dealing with some bigger guys. Maybe not as athletic and quick (as outside pass rushers). But there are some big strong freaks in the middle,” DeCastro said.

With Feiler and Villanueva hitting free agency after this season — and Pouncey and Decastro in their early 30s — DeCastro knows change along the offensive line may not be limited to this season.

“It might be Al’s last season. Pouncey and I are getting old, too. Who knows what’s going to happen. We are just trying to enjoy it the most we can,” DeCastro said.

For as good as the offensive line has been in recent years, like every other angle to the Steelers offense, it started to slip over the past season or two. Rushing yards dipped down to 90.4 and 90.3 in each of the past two seasons. In Bell’s last season here (2017), the Steelers were at 110 per game.

Sack percentage allowed started to climb from 3.37% in 2018 to 5.9% in 2019. Some erosion, but not bad given the absence of Roethlisberger.

Perhaps where the offensive line’s performance was most noticeable was in the red zone and on conversion downs.

The offense was the best red zone team in the NFL (73.4%) in 2018 and sank to the worst in 2019 (35%). It was the sixth-best offense on third downs in 2018 (44%). It was 27th a year ago (34%).

Fichtner’s offense was an NFL-worst 2-15 on fourth downs in 2019 (13%), after going 9-14 on fourth downs in 2018.

Obviously, the subtractions of Brown, Bell and Roethlisberger over the years were a major factor. But DeCastro knows the line play can be better, too.

“It’s a team effort,” DeCastro admitted. “Maybe we are getting a little old. But I still think we’ve got some juice in us. When you aren’t good as a whole, everybody is going to look bad. Not trying to put blame on anyone else. Trying to take more responsibility.”

Now that responsibility may be even greater on DeCastro, Villanueva and Pouncey with the Steelers deciding to shuffle the other 40% of the starting unit.