Steelers are urged to target a former starting lineman worth $50 million.

The NFL staff at Bleacher Report is urging Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin to make La’el Collins a free agent target.

Numerous elements of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense could be held accountable for the offense’s sluggish start to the 2023 season.
Coaches and athletes alike fall under this category.

The offensive line, according to the NFL staff at Bleacher Report, is where Pittsburgh’s biggest problems on offense lie.
The BR staff recommended that the Steelers make La’el Collins their top free-agent target in order to address this issue.

The offensive line is still the main source of the issue, so hiring La’el Collins to take Chukwuma Okorafor’s place once he is healthy could help the line get going, according to the BR staff.

In December 2022, Collins suffered an ACL and MCL tear on his left.
The veteran lineman has been given the all-clear by doctors to return to the field, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN on September 27.

La’el Collins’ Potential Contributions to the Steelers.

A “dozen or so teams” inquired about Collins, according to Fowler.
It is not difficult to understand why.

Collins has long been a dependable starter on the offensive line. He played left guard to start his career with the Dallas Cowboys before switching to right tackle.

From 2015 to 21 he started 71 games for the Cowboys.
He made 15 starts for the Cincinnati Bengals during the previous season before getting hurt.

Collins has consistently performed very well in the player rankings at Pro Football Focus, despite the fact that he has never been selected to the Pro Bowl.
2019 offensive tackles who played at least 50% of their team’s offensive snaps, according to PFF, were ranked by Collins as the fifth best.

PFF ranked Collins No. 1 in the same group of athletes. 13 in 2021.

Due to weak pass protection in the previous season, he didn’t receive a high overall PFF grade.
However, PFF said he still performed well in run blocking.

How Collins Might Fit With the Steelers.

Collins won’t help Pittsburgh’s biggest weakness, based on his pass blocking performance from the previous season. The Steelers’ pass protection grade from PFF is the worst going into Week 5.

Collins has continued to be a run blocker who performs far above average, which could be a valuable asset for the Steelers.

This season has started off very poorly for Pittsburgh’s starting offensive tackles on both sides.
Chukwuma Okorafor, the right tackle, is not among PFF’s top 40 offensive tackles for pass protection or run blocking.

Left tackle Dan Moore Jr. based on the PFF ratings, has been even worse, but the Steelers have first-round rookie Broderick Jones to take his place.
Week 5’s game against the Baltimore Ravens will feature the rookie starting because Moore has a knee injury.

Collins might then be used by the Steelers in place of Okorafor.

However, if Collins’ arrival improves the ground game, that would be significant.
Pittsburgh’s offense could use more explosive passing plays.
Last season, the Steelers averaged 146 rushing yards per game while winning seven of their final nine games.

The Steelers’ rushing total per game this season is under 79 yards.

Though it’s unclear whether Pittsburgh has any interest in Collins.
The 12 teams, according to Fowler, who made inquiries about the 30-year-old were not mentioned by name.

For Heavy.com, sports reporter Dave Holcomb covers the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers.
For publications like Fansided, Rotowire, and Yardbarker, Holcomb, a native of Pittsburgh, has covered both college and professional sports.
Learn more about Dave Holcomb.