With the Steelers’ first preseason game almost upon us, these six back of the roster players deserve a lot of looks as the team opens its season.
While the first preseason game is usually a slow trudge as starters sit and inexperienced players are thrust into action, there is a lot riding on it for the back of the roster players. A strong showing in their first outing can lead to more opportunities in camp as well as more snaps in later preseason games. Here are the six back of the roster players you have to keep your eyes on during the Steelers Hall of Fame Game.
Steelers Calvin Taylor
A name that has almost no newsworthy training camp stories so far, Calvin Taylor enters his second camp hoping to carve out a spot on the practice squad for himself. He was signed as an undrafted free agent last year and spent the majority of his first year on the practice squad. He is lauded for his sack total his senior year at Kentucky (8.5) as well as his immense size (6’9, 310 lbs.). He has mediocre athleticism and strength for a man of his size though, leading to significant limitations as a player.
With this defensive line group so deep though, he needs to show something during the Hall of Fame game to earn some more opportunities. If he flashes anything, from a decent pass rush to a good run stop, he could see his offseason role expand a little bit. If he continues to be a nonfactor, odds are he is cut outright sooner rather than later. If Taylor wants any shot at sticking on this roster, he needs to show up in the team’s first game.
Steelers Isaiah McKoy
A player that I was really high on before camp, Isaiah McKoy has all the makings of a potential deep threat down the road and a camp standout in the present. While his athletic testing numbers were well below average, he was a supreme deep threat at Kent St. He was consistently winning deep down the field and finding ways to score. Players like that typically show up in camp as the drills are geared for offensive success.
While McKoy certainly hasn’t been bad, he has been overshadowed by fellow undrafted rookie Rico Bussey. While it all occurred in mostly one camp practice, Bussey was reportedly winning constantly down the field and was proving to be a dangerous threat with the ball in his hands. In essence, he was doing what I had predicted McKoy would do, and he is now everyone’s hot new sleeper as the Hall of Fame game approaches.
This isn’t the end of the world for McKoy though; there is still plenty of practices and preseason games to contribute in, but he needs to get noticed sooner rather than later. Considering Dwayne Haskins’s ability to throw the ball deep and the likelihood that he sees a lot of snaps at quarterback in the Hall of Fame Game, a connection could establish there. McKoy needs something though if he wants to keep his name relevant moving forward.
Steelers Mark Gilbert
Mark Gilbert makes this list for an entirely other reason than just him purely needing to play well in the Hall of Fame Game. While a strong showing would be great for him, he, more importantly, needs to show that he is healthy finally and that the injuries he was plagued with in college won’t have any long-term ramifications on his athletic ability. He doesn’t need to be a perfect player; he just needs to show that he can still play despite the multitude of injures he has suffered.
A strong showing certainly wouldn’t hurt Gilbert though, as his play in camp hasn’t been noteworthy so far. Rookies like Tre Norwood, Shakur Brown, and Lamont Wade have popped up on the stat sheet with an interception, and his most noteworthy contributions have been some of the run stops he has been a part of. All in all, it has been a very quiet camp for Gilbert.
If Gilbert can show some of the coverage ability he had at Duke in the Hall of Fame Game, it would go a long way in securing a spot on the team in some sort of capacity (most likely the practice squad). More important though is his athleticism. He needs to be able to backpedal and move in space well despite the numerous injuries he has suffered. If he can’t do that, his time with the team will likely end sooner rather than later.
Steelers Zach Gentry
One of the most pleasant surprises in training camp so far, Zach Gentry is finally showing some development as a tight end. The majority of his first two seasons have been underwhelming, and his roster spot was given to him due to the lack of other options and the fifth-round pick the team has invested in him. He has been noted as a more physical catcher so far in training camp and has used his immense size to gain better position over defenders during physical catches.
All of that said, he still needs to show more, specifically in a game setting, before anyone should be comfortable with him making the roster. Training camp structures its practices to benefit the offense, so a physical giant like Gentry should be able to succeed right now. He needs to be able to translate on the field in an actual game setting. If he can’t do that, it won’t much matter how impressive he has looked in camp.
As well, there has been little note on his blocking. His height gives him a natural disadvantage here, but if he wants to stick on the roster, he needs to be able to block well. Ideally, he shows some development there against the Cowboys. He doesn’t need to be an all-star blocker by any means, but he has to be able to hold his own there. This game is vital for him, as he will either reaffirm the positive reports that have come out of camp, or he will falter and draw doubt to just how much better he has actually gotten this offseason.
Steelers Ulysees Gilbert
With the recent retirement of Vince Williams, the odds of backup linebacker Ulysees Gilbert making the final roster shot up. With the team likely keeping five bodies here, Gilbert suddenly finds himself on the inside looking out of the roster. Unless the team adds another notable player or one of the deeper backups makes himself uncuttable, Gilbert should safely make the roster.
Given his overall ability, it is frustrating that Gilbert is still even competing for a roster spot. He has great athleticism and flashed some strong defensive play during the preseason of his rookie year. Add in the fact that he was easily one of the top special teams’ players on the roster during the regular season, and Gilbert had a bright future ahead of him. Unfortunately, back injuries cut his rookie season short and derailed last year for him. There is little question about his talent, as he has shown great ability as a player. There are concerns with how healthy he will be able to stay though.
What the Steelers should be looking for is twofold during this offseason. For starters, Gilbert has to stay healthy. If he can’t, the team won’t have a choice but to move on. As well though, he needs to showcase some of the impressive film that he had as a rookie. Quick instincts, solid coverage, and good run reads made him a preseason winner just a few years ago. If he wants to have any chance at making an impact in 2021, he will have to have a similar impact during the preseason.
Steelers Isaiah Buggs
While it may be unfair to label Isaiah Buggs as a roster option on the backend of this roster given the amount of playing time, he has seen during his Steelers carrier, the mix of a deep line and an unclear role on the team land him here. He needs a hot start to the preseason if he wants to keep his name in consideration for the roster. While he was named the primary nose tackle backup in the initial camp depth chart, that doesn’t mean much long term.
The issue starts with his role on the team. While his size makes him a more natural nose tackle, his pass-rushing skill and general lack of run-stopping ability make him a better fit at one of the end spots. This lack of a defined role means that he naturally falls behind the more natural fits at both of those positions on the depth chart (that being Carlos Davis at nose tackle and Chris Wormley at the end).
Buggs can still make this roster, but it will require a strong showing in the preseason and a more defined position that he excels at. That starts for Buggs during the first preseason game. If he shows up as a strong option on the line, he should continue to see playing time and snaps during the preseason. If he falters, his snaps can go to the next man up. He needs to look a step above the rest during this first game.
The Steelers will have a slew of intriguing players to watch during this first preseason game. These six backend of the roster options deserve special attention though, as this first game will determine a lot of their chances going further into the preseason and eventually into the regular season.