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What was old is new again. This saying could relate to the signing of Steelers Street free agent BJ Finney.
A week to the day after the release of Finney by the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers have recovered their old guard / center. Everyone and their mom said they would, because Pittsburgh is a team that likes to bring guys back (most recently safety Sean Davis, quarterback Josh Dobbs).
And why not? Maurkice Pouncey has retired and JC Hassenaur isn’t much of a starting item unless they’re in a tough spot like last season when Pouncey was placed on the reserve / COVID-19 roster.
Pittsburgh is Finney’s third team in less than a year, which doesn’t call Pro Bowler. It’s an improvement over Hassenaur, but a far cry from Pouncey.
Finney’s one-year deal simply lends itself to being a carry-over as the Steelers explore long-term options. They’re likely to take a plane off an offensive lineman in the middle of the draft and develop it over the course of the season.
An undrafted free agent, Finney’s career began with the Pittsburgh practice team in 2015. He spent five seasons, 59 appearances and 13 starts with the Steelers.
Much like the story of goaltender Kevin Dotson signing with his favorite team, Finney and his family are big fans of the Steelers. His loved ones erupted when he announced the Steelers had signed him to a contract. You might remember Finney’s story from Steelers Wire in May 2015. Okay, probably not. So this is it.
After his contract with Pittsburgh expired last March, the Seattle Seahawks signed a two-year, $ 8 million deal at Finney, but traded it for the Cincinnati Bengals’ midseason, where he is. appeared in a single match.
What Finney can offer the Steelers is familiarity and versatility – he played 409 shots in the center, 456 on the left guard and 155 on the right. According to Pro Football Focus, Finney scores higher for pass blocking (83.2 on average) than for run blocking (59.8 on average). In 591 assists, Finney allowed just two sacks, two hits and nine hits.
Finney will do – which isn’t really what you mean when trying to protect your quarterback in what will likely be the final games of his Hall of Fame career.
We signed OL BJ Finney for a one-year contract. @BordasLaw https://t.co/fihCdNOMUP
– Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) March 12, 2021
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