Camp is a time for players to prove themselves, and for these five Steelers, it is their last chance to make it in the NFL.
The NFL is a cruel business that churns through players quickly. Few players get second chances, as there are always a plethora of other young and hungry players that are ready to compete if another player falters. For the Steelers, most of the starting roster is already set, but camp will be critical in determining the last few active spots or so as well as the practice squad. For some players, this camp will be critical if they want to see their NFL career continue, as getting cut outright could lead to their final exit from the league. Here are the five Steelers whose last chance in the NFL is the 2021 camp.
Steelers Zach Gentry
The expectations were never high for Zach Gentry, as the former fifth-round pick entered the league as a former quarterback with below-average athleticism. The hope was that he could develop into a solid number two and a decent red zone threat given his immense size. On paper, his best-case scenario was becoming a lesser Jesse James for the team. Through his first two seasons, it doesn’t appear as though he is on that path.
The worst thing is, the Steelers have had little use for him on game day. He has played just 69 career offensive snaps so far, a low number for even a backup tight end. He was injured last season, but he was a healthy scratch each week until the team needed him as an injury replacement. If he loses out on the roster, especially to a player like Kevin Radar, it’s hard to imagine another team giving him a shot. This is it for him, and if he isn’t an adequate backup by the end of camp, Gentry may struggle to find work afterward.
Steelers Ulysees Gilbert
Ulysees Gilbert is an unfortunate story to this point in his Steelers career. A sixth-round pick out of Akron, Gilbert flashed in his first camp and preseason, and he looked like a potential starter given his play and his impressive athleticism. The issue has all been injuries, as a back issue ended his rookie season and then limited him to only four games last year.
The inside linebacker room has only gotten deeper since then. Realistically, this group has six players competing for five roster spots at best. That means Gilbert will likely be fighting Vince Williams and Marcus Allen for the last spot or two on the roster. To do this, Gilbert will have to replicate his 2019 preseason, where he was nearly unstoppable on defense. If not, the team can move on with the more experienced options.
The first thing Gilbert has to prove this camp is that he can stay healthy. After that, he needs to remind everyone of the potential he flashed during his rookie season. If he can return to that form, there is nothing stopping him from making the roster. Unfortunately, the cards are stacked against him right now. Worse yet, given his injury history, it would be surprising to see a team give him a legitimate shot after his time with the Steelers ends.
Steelers B.J. Finney
One of the better stories in all of the Steelers camp, B.J. Finney gets his shot at redemption with the team that signed him as an undrafted rookie and developed him into a capable swing interior lineman. He left last season after earning a decent-sized contract but failed to make an impact due to poor conditioning. The team was quick to re-sign him this offseason given the need at center, and essentially this is his last shot to stick in the NFL.
The league will be watching to see what he does with his second chance this offseason. He enters camp in a center battle with the returning J.C. Hassenauer and rookie Kendrick Green, and frankly, that is a battle he should at least initially win. While Hassenauer has taken the majority of early reps so far, that is likely due to him being on the team last season. As for Green, by all accounts, he is the center of the future, but he is still making the transition to center from guard and was only a third-round rookie. Given Finney’s veteran status and experience with the team, he should be the favorite to start week one.
While the Steelers aren’t counting on Finney long-term, expectations in the short term should be a starter or, at worst, top interior offensive lineman. If he enters the season and plays very little like he did last year, it’s hard to imagine him getting much of a chance in the future. Worse yet, if he loses out to Hassenauer, his NFL career by over after that. Finney has a lot to prove this camp, and he will need to put his best foot forward if he wants his career to continue past 2021.
Steelers Justin Layne
To say Justin Layne hasn’t lived up to his third-round billing so far would be an understatement. Despite having ideal measurables and the ability to play man defense, Layne was raw coming out of Michigan St. and hasn’t shown a lot of defensive capabilities as a pro so far. With the Steeler having a starting cornerback job up for grabs, the expectation should be that the former third-round pick is the favorite to get the nod there. As it sits though, it will likely be last year’s undrafted rookie James Pierre that will be getting the first nod there.
This is a big blow for Layne, as his limited defensive snaps saw him get picked on by opposing offenses. If he can’t contend for a starting role by his third season, more than likely he will be limited to special teams only going forward. He is fine in that department, but it isn’t like he is any sort of elite player there either.
While doesn’t have to win the starting corner spot outright, he at least needs to make the battle competitive in camp. If not, he could end up getting cut in favor of a higher upside player like Mark Gilbert. Layne will offer some special teams’ value to the league if that did happen, but being an average special teams player only gets you so far. Layne needs to flash some real talent if he doesn’t want 2021 to be his final in the league.
Steelers Dwayne Haskins
The Steelers made the surprising move when they signed former first-round pick Dwayne Haskins to a reserve contract this offseason. The former Washington quarterback struggled mentally during his short tenure there, and now he hopes to revive his career in Pittsburgh. His play was one thing in Washington, but his tenacity for off-the-field issues is what ultimately led to him getting cut last season.
While quarterbacks can float around for years given the lack of capable arms in the league, this is Haskins’s last shot to not completely flame out and be a cuttable backup each year. While his only way to the roster is as a third-string option this season, winning that job from a capable Josh Dobbs would be a step in the right direction for him.
By all reports, Haskins is doing everything right as of now. He looked solid in OTAs and has kept himself out of the media’s attention for doing something unrelated to the football field. While camp and preseason will be important for him, he appears to be dedicated to putting the effort in with the Steelers. If he fails though, don’t be surprised to see his tenure in the league end.
Training camp is a time for players to prove themselves. While a bad camp doesn’t doom a roster lock, for any of these five options, a bad camp could feasibly end their NFL career. These Steelers have the most riding on training camp in 2021, as getting cut from the squad this year could essentially kick them out of the league.