The Steelers recently cut their roster down to just 53 players, but here are three guys who are not yet safe if the team chooses to add depth elsewhere.
Steelers players who were on the roster bubble have to be doing backflips after officially landing on Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster. It was a strenuous summer, and only the best of the best make it to this point.
Unfortunately for a few players, they may not be in the clear yet. Defensive coordinator, Keith Butler, recently voiced that he’s not comfortable with just four cornerbacks on the roster, though Pittsburgh just signed the recently cut Arthur Maulet after three players landed on Injured Reserve. The Steelers seemed destined to make another move (or perhaps even a few) before their Week 1 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Here are three players whose roster spots may not be as secure as they would have hoped:
LB Ulysees Gilbert
Prior to trading for Joe Schobert, Pittsburgh’s linebackers had the potential to be one of the worst units on the team. But despite their struggles at training camp and in the preseason, Pittsburgh remarkably elected to keep six off-ball linebackers on their 53-man roster. This could change very soon.
One player that many are surprised made the team is former 2019 sixth-round pick, Ulysees Gilbert III. Gilbert was quite unspectacular this summer as he was routinely beaten in coverage and missed too many tackles in the preseason. Surprisingly, he’s currently listed as the primary backup to Devin Bush on the team’s initial post-cut depth chart.
Still, I think Gilbert is a player the Steelers would consider cutting lose in order to beef up the depth elsewhere. Because they kept so many linebackers, Gilbert could be one of the first to go. Marcus Allen, who is listed as third in line behind Schobert, could also be in jeopardy. However, I thought Allen outplayed Gilbert this summer.
DL Henry Mondeaux
I was very pleased with Pittsburgh’s decision to keep Henry Mondeaux on the initial 53-man roster. While he wasn’t productive in the box score this season, Mondeaux churned out some very impressive grades, via Pro Football Focus, thanks to his ability to knife in the backfield and pursue the quarterback.
Much of the intrigue with Mondeaux lies with his impressive athletic ability. Despite being listed at 6’4” and 297 entering the 2018 NFL Draft, Mondeaux blazed a trail with a 4.96 40-yard dash – reaching a top speed of 20.2 miles per hour, according to his Relative Athletic Score. This freakish speed and explosion are what allows him to play special teams on the kick coverage unit.
Unfortunately, Mondeaux’s job is not secure at this point. We recently learned that starting defensive lineman, Stephon Tuitt, is headed to IR for the short term with a knee injury – which is probably why the Steelers elected to keep eight defensive linemen. Unfortunately, when he returns, Mondeaux could be gone as Pittsburgh already has Chris Wormley and Isaiahh Loudermilk backing up his position.
I hope Henry Mondeaux is able to stick around as a core special teams player who can give the Steelers a pass rush spark, but I wouldn’t wager a bet on this.
FS Tre Norwood
In my opinion, Tre Norwood made the Steelers roster by default this year. There wasn’t another capable player to even compete for snaps at the free safety position. While I’m not saying that Norwood can’t be a football player, I really don’t think he’s ready to have to step on the field if something were to happen to Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Backup free safety is a position Pittsburgh could choose to explore in free agency, and they know the value of having a quality, experienced backup at the position. While Miles Killebrew should be serviceable as a backup to Terrell Edmunds at strong safety, he’s more of a box-only player and doesn’t have the skill set to play both. The team also added another strong safety option to their practice squad in former first-round pick, Karl Joseph.
Though Quincy Roche was sadly poached by the New York Giants in free agency, I doubt the same will happen to Norwood if released. The Steelers rookie safety has been up and down at times and has shown plus instincts, but Pittsburgh may look for an upgrade – resulting in Norwood heading to the practice squad.
There are a few other players who could be in jeopardy of losing their jobs before the season even begins this year, but these three might not last on the roster long if the Steelers look to add depth to other positions.