Mitchell Schwartz landing spots: 3 NFL teams that should still sign OT

Mitchell Schwartz continues to recover from offseason back surgery but, as full health and the 2021 NFL season approach, which teams should sign the OT?

Among the best free agents still not signed with just days before the 2021 NFL season begins, offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz could be the most impactful if and when he signs. A long-time right tackle, the 32-year-old has been considered among the best at his position for the last few years. But now coming off a back injury and surgery, he’s still looking for work.

With that said, Schwartz recently told the Arrowhead Addict podcast that he’s near 100 percent in his recovery and still considers himself an active NFL player. That sounds like a guy who is going to be looking for a job sooner rather than later, which begs the question of which teams could use him for the 2021 campaign.

Though for pretty different reasons, these three NFL teams would make sense as Mitchell Schwartz landing spots this year as soon as he gets healthy.

These NFL teams could use Mitchell Schwartz in the 2021 season

3. Green Bay Packers – Perhaps because of the volume of the Aaron Rodgers drama, it feels as if not enough people are talking about the offensive line situation in Green Bay. The Packers not only cut right tackle Rick Wagner this offseason but lost Corey Linsley in free agency. Moreover, stalwart left tackle David Bakhtiari is on the PUP list, meaning he’ll miss the first six weeks.

The Packers are going to try and shuffle pieces around, namely with Elgton Jenkins at left tackle — who looked good in the preseason there — and Billy Turner at right tackle. But to try and help stabilize a unit experiencing a lot of change, perhaps a healthy Schwartz would be an upgrade over Turner and, once Bakhtiari is back, give Green Bay an elite veteran tackle duo.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers – Shockingly enough, the worry about the Pittsburgh Steelers offense isn’t a near-40-year-old Ben Roethlisberger having another go at it or even relying heavily on a rookie running back. Instead, it’s an offensive line replacing four starters from last season and doing so with players who are less than proven.

Chuks Okorafor and Joe Haeg are projected to start at left and right tackle, respectively, for Pittsburgh in 2021. The Steelers like Okorafor but he’s not proven anything yet. However, they might allow him to be a better developer at the position if they could upgrade from Haeg opposite him. Schwartz would represent that upgrade and help Pittsburgh retain integrity up front.

1. Miami Dolphins – If Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and head coach Brian Flores aren’t trying to get in contact with Mitchell Schwartz right now, they aren’t properly doing their jobs. Miami is trying to usher in the Tua Tagovailoa era at quarterback but is doing so with uncertainty on the offensive line, particularly with the southpaw quarterback’s blindside.

Jesse Davis is the presumed starter at right tackle and he was awful in the preseason. With other young or uncertain pieces, that puts the Dolphins line in a tough spot. Bringing in a veteran of Schwartz’s caliber on this young group would not only secure the issue of protecting Tua’s blindside but also likely help the other members of the line come along.