Ed Bouchette reported today that newly re-signed tackle Max Starks took half of the first team snaps today at left tackle in just his first day back with the team and now it seems running back Isaac Redman may have let the cat out of the bag that Starks will indeed start this Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
I of course could be reading too much into his quotes here, but he sure makes it sound like he expects Starks to provide a spark to the offensive line.
Our line is beat up, there is some inexperience. We have to establish the run. We need it. We need to shut people up. We have Max Starks back. Hopefully he can add some spark to the offensive line and we can get some movement.”
The thing that makes it believable that he can sign on Wednesday and play on Sunday after not taking a snap since he went down last year with his neck injury is that he can\’t be any worse than the Steelers have had out there through the first 4 weeks. Jonathan Scott is rumored to still not be fully recovered from his ankle injury and Trai Essex is still not recovered from being Trai Essex. He reportedly is in much better shape now after losing all of that weight and it should not take him long to catch back up with the Steelers offense. Why not start him?
The only concern is that it might take him a bit to knock the rust off and catch up with the speed of the game. Practicing three days is fine and good but will it be enough? I am pretty sure the coaching staff will not throw him out there if he can not live up to the challenge. Maybe they don\’t have a choice.
The Thursday practice report should shed more light on this and I fully expect to hear that he took all of the first team snaps. I share the same hopes as Redman and hopefully he can add a spark to an offensive line that has nowhere to go but up.
