There’s no denying that James Daniels is the Steelers’ most hated player.
The solution is as obvious as your nose. This offseason, the answer is not up for debate, unlike some years. Which Pittsburgh Steelers player is the most underappreciated? We could really quantify that descriptive question this offseason and say, “most disrespected player.” Right now, James Daniels is the obvious and unquestionable solution for anyone who is paying attention. I think that a segment of the fan base that is entrenched in their ways is the source of the disrespectful behavior. Please allow me to explain.
In recent seasons, the Steelers offensive line may have played its lowest point ever. Reliable standouts like Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, and Alejandro Villanueva appeared to wane simultaneously in 2019, marking the beginning of the abrupt fall. Due to this fact, the franchise had too many gaps to be made up by mid-round and clearance projects. The Steelers offense and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger paid the price. Since then, Steelers supporters all around the world have been yelling for expensive free agents and first-round draft selections.
Admittedly, I was among those who loudly demanded that the Steelers make significant investments in its offensive and defensive foundations. In the trenches, football games are won and lost. Kevin Colbert finally addressed the big issue during his final speech as general manager of the Steelers during the offseason. He skillfully acquired Mason Cole and James Daniels, two enormous offensive line enhancements. Both brilliant young men contributed vetted experience at costs that were reasonable for the team. The offensive line that had been in disarray the previous season was steadied, and the effects were evident right away.
While Mason Cole was a valuable leader and communicator at center in 2021, James Daniels was the Steelers’ finest offensive lineman in 2021 and the team’s most successful free agent acquisition in recent memory. Daniels possesses strength, agility, and adaptability. With the mobility to regularly reach the second level and the technique and fundamentals to thrive at combo blocking, he is a perfect fit for Pat Meyer’s zone blocking concepts. Throughout the season, he was credited with giving up a whopping zero sacks. You did indeed read that right. None. an enormous goose egg.
Despite all of that, the question of “Why is a portion of the Steelers fanbase treating James Daniels so disrespectfully this offseason?” still has to be answered. Put differently, why do so many supporters advocate for the transfer of the Steelers’ top offensive lineman from the previous season to center? And if that wasn’t awful enough, a recent piece on a different Steelers website even suggested that the team may try to trade Daniels this offseason. It’s simple to see how these recommendations are irrational.
This summer, the Steelers added Nate Herbig and Isaac Seumalo, two guys who assistant general manager Andy Weidl is well familiar with from his time with the Philadelphia Eagles. Unreasonable predictions regarding James Daniels’s future with the Steelers started to surface as a result of many supporters’ erroneous assessments of the player’s true potential. Isaac Seumalo lives up to the hype. Pro Bowl level, he is one of the NFL’s most accomplished and fundamentally sound interior offensive linemen.
From the time he takes the field, Seumalo will be the Steelers’ top offensive tackle. As a professional, he has attained a level that James Daniels aspires to, which makes sense given that Daniels is younger. Daniels is just coming into his prime, while Seumalo is at the height of his. Nasty Nate Herbig is the beginning and the finish of the confusion. Herbig is going to become a Steel City fan favorite. Herbig stated during his opening news conference how much he wanted to play for the Steelers this season and even offered to punt in order to do it. Steelers Nation will undoubtedly be enthralled with that kind of no-nonsense competitiveness.
Your imagination is surely sparked by the creative possibilities. In short yardage and goal line scenarios, I have even proposed deploying the enormous Herbig as a Refrigerator Perry-type fullback. Herbig seems like he’ll inject some joy back into the Steelers offense. Anyone up for a surprise jet sweep? Just picture asking that poor soul to set the edge. The issues stem from the belief held by many fans and even by a fellow writer that Seumalo and Herbig were brought to Pittsburgh in order to start as guards. James Daniels is an unemployed man if that is the fact.
