6 Steelers veterans on the roster bubble ahead of 2021 camp

Benny Snell Jr.

Benny Snell was put on notice by the Steelers this offseason, and it wasn’t when Najee Harris was drafted. For all intents and purposes, everyone expected the team to come away with their new starting running back in the draft this year. The drafting of Harris in the first round isn’t what altered Snell’s standing with the team. Instead, it was the signing of Kalen Ballage.

Now, Ballage isn’t any sort of an elite playmaking running back either. What he offers is a short-yardage and goal-line back that has a nose for the end zone. Heading into this season, that is Snell’s presumed role since he obviously won’t be starting over Harris. The issue is, Ballage has been far more effective in that role as a pro. The Steelers were abysmal in short-yardage last season, and part of that was due to Snell’s general ineffectiveness when on the field.

Now, the argument could be made that the team will carry four running backs on the roster as they have in the previous few seasons, but the drafting of Harris makes that seem unlikely. The Steelers got their bell-cow back, so there isn’t a need for an extra body on the depth chart. This means Snell and Ballage could be fighting for one spot on the roster. Ballage is better in that role and is also a better athlete. The only thing Snell has over him is special teams’ ability, but that may not be enough to win him a spot on the roster.

While the Steelers are a team that favors veterans on the depth chart, these six options seem to be on the outside looking in ahead of camp. While not all of them have starting experience, each of them have either been valuable backups or were expected to take on a substantial role at some point. Unfortunately, it looks as if their time with the Steelers could be coming to a close soon.