6 Steelers veterans on the roster bubble ahead of 2021 camp

J.C. Hassenauer

Credit where credit is due, the Steelers seemingly got far more out of J.C. Hassenauer than anyone expected them to. He was a “break glass in case of emergency” option last season, but due to various injuries along the line, he saw action in 15 total games and started four of them. No, he wasn’t elite, but he more than held his own as an injury replacement.

Unfortunately, his role with the team seems to have been upgraded this offseason. B.J. Finney has more familiarity and better versatility along the interior of the line. Meanwhile, third-round draft pick Kendrick Green will likely be the center of the future and should be in line for snaps sooner than later. This leaves Hassenauer as the odd man out, as center is now two men deep with both options being clearly better than him.

The real issue is that Hassenauer doesn’t have the size to be effective elsewhere on the line. 6’2, 295 as a center is considered undersized, so the odds of him being an effective swing reserve seems unlikely. As well, the team signed Rashaad Coward during free agency. He has started more games and has the far better size to serve as an interior reserve lineman. Even he isn’t a slam dunk to make the roster though. Despite his valiant effort last season, Haussenauer is on the outside looking in during camp. Luckily for him, linemen have a lot of value, so he could find a job elsewhere this year, but it doesn’t seem like the Steelers need him anymore.