The Pittsburgh Steelers have re-signed offensive tackle Dylan Cook to a one-year contract, according to the NFL Transaction Wire and first reported by Steelers Depot. Cook was an Exclusive Rights Free Agent, which means that he was always likely to return, and he will.
Cook was an unheralded singing for the Steelers on the eve of OTAs last season. An undrafted free agent out of Montana, he spent his rookie season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but did not appear in a game.
Cook impressed right away with the Steelers. He fits the physical bill for a tackle at 6-foot-6, 305 pounds, but as a former college quarterback (you read that right), he outstrips most offensive linemen in athleticism.
He showed this preseason that his pass-blocking prowess is more developed than his run-blocking, but the Steelers left the preseason feeling pretty good about Cook after his 101 snaps over three games. Cook made the 53-man roster, and even though he came from humble beginnings, by the end of camp, it wasn’t even a surprise. Cook was clearly one of the best nine linemen the Steelers had.
Then came the regular season, and for the second year in a row, the Steelers got through it without a single missed game for an offensive tackle. Cook spent 16 games in the press box for the Steelers as a game-day inactive. Once, when Isaac Seumalo was out, he was able to dress, but did not appear in the game.
The Steelers saw what they needed out of Cook for the season. His tape in the preseason was solid, and they trained him to play on both sides and even worked him in at guard. As someone who took to offensive line later in his career, Cook has approached his second year as a full-time scout team player as a learning opportunity, and thinks that even though he didn’t get to show it yet, he’s a better player now than he was at the start of the season.