Steelers Rookie Doing Whatever It Takes to Make Roster
LATROBE -- The Pittsburgh Steelers gave rookie offensive lineman Spencer Anderson a heavy workload in his preseason debut against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After practicing primarily at left tackle in practice, Anderson played three different positions - right tackle, right guard and left guard.
His ability to play multiple positions was attractive to the Steelers when they drafted him in the seventh round this spring and is something they've continued to experiment with. It has been overwhelming at time to try and master multiple spots but the positional journeyman is embracing a familiar challenge.
"A good quote I was taught my freshman year [of college] was ‘Get out of yourself and get into the team,’ so that’s just how I look at it," Anderson said. "Sometimes you have those thoughts of ‘Am I good at even one position?’ But you got to deal with it."
He said he felt most comfortable at right guard, where he took his first snaps. But his drive at left guard was the team's most successful. It makes no difference to Anderson, who learned early that versatility is both self-serving and selfless. A way to see the field sooner for sure, but also a way to help the team fill gaps.
Prior to the game, Anderson got hints from offensive line coach Pat Meyer that he'd be used on the interior more than the outside but ended up finding himself all over the field.
This is a work in progress for Anderson. Before every play, he has to process the play call and any checks made at the line in addition to his own assignments and how they change from spot to spot. That can lead pretty easily to mental errors like the false start he committed in his first practice following the preseason opener.
“Dan [Moore] was telling me the analogy that It’s like wiping his butt with his left hand," Anderson said. "Before every play, it’s like everything’s flipped in your head and … you got to take a quick mental picture before you take the rep and play ball.”
It isn't the physical skills that hold Anderson back. He's big - 6'5 and 305 pounds - with athleticism and speed. Challenged by the coaching staff to face up-and-coming rookies Nick Herbig and David Perales in one-on-one drills, Anderson more than held his own. It'll all come down to how he handles the mental side of things.
He's fighting an uphill battle to earn a roster spot for the Steelers this year, but offensive coordinator Matt Canada thinks Anderson's varied skill set gives him a better chance than most seventh-round picks.
"The more things you can do in anything in life, the better you are but you have to be a master at something," Canada said. "I think he's doing all he can to show his versatility and viability to be one of those guys. So he's completing for that. Happy with his ability to learn and comprehend because that's not an easy challenge to do all those things."
And Anderson is adding to his repertoire daily. All he needs to hit for the offensive line cycle is to get some snapping in, which is not a far-fetched concept. Five of Anderson's 32 college starts at Maryland were at center and he's started to rotate in there gradually during parts of practice with the Steelers.
"Spencer can snap the ball," Canada said. "I don't know if we'll get to that or not but his versatility is real. We look at those things, the more he can do when you get down to those last spots. ... Wouldn't want to get direct on that but that's certainly a possibility if we get to that."
Anderson hasn't been afforded much stability during his first few weeks as a real NFL football player, but it hasn't bothered him. Four years of position switching in college has made him adaptable and willing to tackle whatever coaches will throw at him.
"I’m just going to keep my feet hot," Anderson said. "And be ready for what’s next."
Make sure you bookmark All Steelers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
Steelers OL Suffers Shoulder Injury at Practice
Steelers Might Have QB Competition Brewing
Steelers 53-Man Roster Prediction: Another Free Agent Coming
Nick Herbig Gives Bone-Chilling Speech After Dominant Performance