Mason McCormick will be used more often as center after Nate Herbig's injury

Zach Frazier filling in for the injured Nate Herbig is a seamless transition that had to happen sooner or later. Herbig's season-ending torn rotator cuff only sped up that process. Figuring out who will replace Frazier is a little trickier. But consider Mason McCormick, the rookie who told PPG's Brian Batko he's been getting more work at center in recent days.

“Definitely a little more [lately],” McCormick told Batko about playing center. “I have to be prepared for anything they throw at me.”

McCormick was almost exclusively a guard at South Dakota State, where he started over 50 times. Only 15 of his college snaps were at center. Despite this, Pittsburgh showed interest in his ability to play center. OC Arthur Smith and OL Coach Pat Meyer flew to South Dakota to train him a week before the draft, which was unusual for the team. Frazier landed in the second round, reducing the need for a mid-round center, but the team couldn't pass on McCormick and took advantage of a rare triple-dip of offensive linemen by taking him in the fourth round.

Still, McCormick played guard for the first 15 practices of training camp. He sometimes joined the quarterbacks at the beginning of practice to help them warm up, but he didn't play a single game until last Wednesday, when Herbig suffered a shoulder injury. He continued to play guard in the game against the Buffalo Bills, while Frazier and Ryan McCollum took over center drills.

Now it appears Mason McCormick has a chance to play center in the stadium for Saturday's final preseason game against the Detroit Lions. He may not be the only one. Spencer Anderson, a sophomore, could be in a similar boat. He spent more time as a center in college and worked there sporadically last summer. He made five appearances during the preseason and a few more in training camp. They seem to be the two most likely candidates to be Frazier's replacement, although McCollum's experience cannot be completely discounted.

Pittsburgh's first offensive line will play Detroit, a sensible decision given the team's struggles. That means Frazier will start at center and snap to Russell Wilson. Whoever comes in after him will be one to watch. Hopefully Anderson or McCormick will get enough time for the Steelers to consider their options before assembling their roster for Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons.