**The new vets:** The departure of veteran Isaac Seumalo, who started all 44 regular-season games he played in his three-season Steelers career, created a hole at left guard and a void in leadership for the offensive line. The Steelers are working to fill both during OTAs.
"You've got to grow up quick, man," offensive tackle Troy Fautanu observed.
Fautanu, center Zach Frazier and guard Mason McCormick are all entering their third seasons. Frazier and McCormick have started for two seasons and Fautanu one after his rookie campaign was lost almost entirely to injury.
"We're looked at as the vets," Fautanu said.
In response, the group is looking to assistant offensive line coach Jahri Evans, a veteran of 12 NFL seasons and 183 career regular-season games played, all as a starter.
"Isaac was damn near a coach to us," Fautanu continued. "Whatever he said, he was like a third offensive line coach. Obviously, missing Isaac in terms of leadership and having him there but Jahri has kind of been that role for us, I feel like, with all the games that he's played. I asked him last week, I asked how many starts did he have in the NFL? He said 180-something, it's crazy.
"He has a lot of insight. I feel like he's kinda taken that role."
The roles up front are to be determined. The Steelers opened OTA No. 1 with Fautanu shifting from right to left tackle and McCormick moving from right to left guard.
Spencer Anderson took McCormick's vacated sport at right guard and Dylan Cook was at right tackle after having filled in at left tackle when Broderick Jones was injured last season. Jones was dressed for OTA No. 1 but his status remains uncertain as he continues to recover from neck surgery.
The Steelers also invested a first-round pick in Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor, a third-round pick in Iowa offensive tackle Gennings Dunker, who will transition to guard in the NFL, and added guard Brock Hoffman in veteran free agency.
"Right now, it's still kind of up in the air," Fautanu said.
Fautanu emphasized he'd be capable of switching sides on a permanent basis if it comes to that.
"There were conversations and asking if I was comfortable doing it," he said. "I played it in college. I personally don't believe you really have a natural position. If you work hard enough at something, you have enough reps, you're going to get good at it. Obviously, I played right (tackle) for two years, and thousands and thousands of reps doing that. I got really comfortable there but if I'm being asked to move to the left I can do it."
And if such a move included a corresponding switching of sides for McCormick, so much the better.
"Me and Mason have chemistry, playing last year together," Fautanu said. "He's helped me out a lot in terms of being able to play fast and being very communicative. When things are loud and Zach's kind of dealing with all he has to deal with, Mason's right there to help me out.
"Any guard that's playing next to me, him, Brock, Spencer, you can go down the list. It's a new offense so we're all kind of adjusting but at the same time Mason has helped me a lot.
"Obviously, I would love to play next to him again."
The emphasis in the early stages of team development is on position flexibility.
The ultimate goal will be to get the best five on the field.
"They're leaning on us to be the best group on the field," Fautanu said. "I think we can do that and I think we have the potential to do that but we have a lot of work to do."
\-- Blog entry by Mike Prisuta