4 Steelers that should be cut before taking a snap in 2021
By Andrew Falce
Steelers Jaylen Samuels
To be frank, I was shocked last season when the Steelers decided to keep Jaylen Samuels on the roster for the season. While running back depth certainly wasn’t a strength, Samuels had seemingly shown his max potential and it wasn’t pretty. He doesn’t have the athleticism to do much as a runner and while being highly touted as a receiving back, he doesn’t have great hands nor route-running ability.
Heading into this season, there is somehow even less of a reason to keep Samuels around. Najee Harris will be the every-down back for the team, either Benny Snell or Kalen Ballage will handle the short-yardage duty, and Anthony McFarland will be the change of pace back. Each of these potential backups offers more than Samuels, and that is truly saying something considering the Steelers depth chart here isn’t filled with elite talents.
If Samuels somehow finds a way to make the roster again this season, something has gone horribly wrong. While he had the potential to be a solid third-down back, he has proven to have mediocre at best receiving ability. There are zero reasons he should be on the roster this year. If he sees any actual snaps this year, let it be from a different team.