On Friday the Arizona Cardinals made a move for a potential starter and game changer at right tackle in Marcus Gilbert. In Gilbert they are getting one of the best pass blocking right tackles in the NFL. He has been a top tier pass blocker the last several years, but there is a problem. Gilbert has only played in 12 games the last two seasons combined. In 2017 Gilbert played in seven games, missing five with a hamstring injury and then being suspended for four games thanks to performance enhancing drugs. In 2018, Gilbert was limited to five games during to a knee injury. Yet, in those 12 games, Gilbert was good in pass protection. He allowed three sacks and only had three penalties in his 12 games played. It’s quite a departure from the offensive line signings during the Steve Keim era. Keim has usually been getting players that were strong in the run game and struggled in pass pro. Gilbert is the opposite in that regard, but he does have one thing that Steve Keim loves… an injury history. Whether or not Gilbert can stay healthy, it doesn’t matter. He likely will be better than any potential sixth round pick the Cardinals could come up with in this draft and if healthy he’ll definitely start, unlike any of the potential day three picks the Arizona Cardinals may have in this draft.<doc-sep>On Friday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Steelers have traded right tackle Marcus Gilbert to the Arizona Cardinals for a sixth round pick. Injuries, and a four-game suspension in 2017 for using a banned substance has limited Gilbert to just 12 games over the past two seasons. Gilbert will likely be replaced in the starting lineup by Matt Feiler, a former undrafted rookie who started in 10 games last season. Gilbert offered an appreciative message to the Steelers after being traded to Arizona. I want to send a big thank you out to the whole Steelers organization, coaches, teammates, trainers and especially Steelers Nation! It’s been an amazing 8 years, and I am truly blessed and extremely motivated for what the future holds!#RiseUpRedSea — Marcus Gilbert (@MarcusGilbert88) March 8, 2019 A second round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Gilbert, one of three Pittsburgh starters from the University of Florida (the other two are center Maurkice Pouncey and cornerback Joe Haden), Gilbert was one of the team's unsung heroes over the past several seasons. While he never was selected to a Pro Bowl, Gilbert has been regarded as one of the top right tackles in football over the past decade. He shined in both of Pittsburgh's 2015 contests against the eventual Super Bowl champion Broncos, holding Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller to zero sacks as the Steelers beat the Broncos in Week 15 before bowing out to Denver in a competitive contest in the divisional round of the playoffs. Gilbert's news comes a day after it was announced that Pouncey and fellow lineman Ramon Foster had received new contracts. Pouncey signed a three-year, $29 million deal, while Foster received a two year, $8.25 million deal. Pouncey was the only Pittsburgh Steelers' player to earn All-Pro honors this past season. He was also the only member of the team to be named to the Pro Football Writers of America's All-AFC team. This is the second straight year Pouncey has received this honor. Pittsburgh's No. 1 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Pouncey is -- relatively speaking -- carving out a Hall of Fame career. Outside of his two missed seasons due to injury, Pouncey has been a Pro Bowler in each of his seven healthy NFL seasons. And after missing the entire 2015 season after sustaining a fibula injury during the preseason, Pouncey has not missed a game due to injury over the past three seasons while earning three consecutive Pro Bowl selections over that span. The team's second oldest player, Foster, who celebrated his 33rd birthday earlier this offseason, was slated to become an unrestricted free agent before re-signing with the Steelers on Thursday. A former undrafted rookie out of Tennessee, Foster made Pittsburgh's 53-man roster in 2009 and hasn't looked back. A member of the Steelers' last Super Bowl team, Foster became a full-time starter in 2011, his third NFL season. In 2018, he played in all 16 regular season games for the first time since 2015 while helping Big Ben lead the NFL with 5,129 passing yards. He also helped the Steelers' offense set a franchise record with 53 touchdowns.<doc-sep>
The Arizona Cardinals on Wednesday officially traded a sixth-round pick in 2019 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert. Arizona also announced the release of veteran tight end Jermaine Gresham. The report on Friday first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter was confirmed by 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s John Gambadoro, who added that Denver was also interested. Gilbert started five games for the Steelers last year but missed time due to a knee injury, and played only seven games the year prior. He has started 87 of the 88 games he’s played in his career, all with Pittsburgh, after being drafted in the second round (63rd overall) out of Florida in 2011. In 2017, Gilbert was suspended four games by the NFL for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy. In eight NFL seasons, Gilbert has played 16 games only twice: 2013 and 2015. Next chapter 🙏🏾😎 — Marcus Gilbert (@MarcusGilbert88) March 8, 2019 His contract carries a $4.915 million cap hit before he becomes a free agent after the 2019 season. He joins an offensive line that was one of the worst in the NFL in 2018, and included D.J. Humphries, John Wetzel, Korey Cunningham, Andre Smith and Blaine Clausell at the tackle spot. Only one starter on the offensive line played all 16 games in 2018 for the Cardinals, and that was center Mason Cole. The line was tied for fourth-most QB hits in the league with 109. Gambadoro also reported that offensive lineman Joe Barksdale will not be back with the Cardinals in 2019 as he becomes a free agent. Follow @AZSports