The Steelers roster is relatively set, and as of now, it looks like these five players will need a solid summer to stick with the team.
The Steelers have just about finalized their offseason roster, and with training camp coming up right around the corner, there are some players in a tricky position. While every player will have a chance to compete, some will be fighting for their careers as the team has the depth to move on from them. Here are five Steelers that will need to dominate training camp to stick around this roster.
Steelers Davis
The early returns on Carlos Davis appeared to be positive. He beat out long-standing reserve lineman Daniel McCullers and even found his way onto the field. He didn’t see a lot of snaps, but he looked like a solid player when on the field. 2021 was a bit of a letdown, as Davis struggled with injury for most of the season which has now left his roster spot in question for this season.
The issue isn’t so much Davis as a player. If you went into 2022 with Davis as a reserve nose tackle you could do worse. The defensive lineman room is extremely crowded though. With the return of Tyson Alualu and the potential return of Stephon Tuitt, this group is suddenly extremely deep. Add in third-round pick DeMarvin Leal and suddenly Davis could be the seventh man on the depth chart just due to the numbers there.
Davis will need to have a great camp to remind the team of the potential he showed as a rookie. Assuming Tuitt is back, he will have to justify the team keeping seven defensive linemen as of now in order for him to make the team. He has the talent and the versatility to play on special teams, now he just has to justify being worth a roster spot at a deep position.
Steelers Johnson
A fourth-round pick from last season, Buddy Johnson certainly looks the part of what the team could use in a linebacker. He has decent size, good athleticism, and was a capable run stopper in college. His pass coverage wasn’t anything impressive, but he had enough developmental traits to intrigue the team into taking him.
His rookie season was less than impressive though, as he was usually a healthy scratch due to the plethora of depth linebackers this team has. Now, he is in just as difficult of a position, as the team added Myles Jack in free agency and drafted Mark Robinson in the draft. This room is once again extremely crowded, and Johnson may be fighting for a roster spot during camp.
The top three spots on this depth chart are essentially taken, as Devin Bush and Jack will take on those roles. The Steelers trust Robert Spillane to be the third body there, but beyond him, there isn’t much set in stone. Johnson will need a great camp to secure a roster spot. With this battle being as close as it is, Johnson will have to show the traits he displayed in school in order to actually make this roster.
Steelers Green
Unlike the first two names on this list, the odds of Kendrick Green not making this roster seems unlikely. While cutting a third-round pick in his second season isn’t unheard of, there seems to be a spot somewhere for Green on this roster. That said, he could see a serious fall from grace as a starter as a rookie to buried on the depth chart in year two.
The Steelers added two interior linemen in free agency, both of which are center capable. More than likely, Mason Cole will be slotted in as the starter given the contract he signed. He isn’t an exciting choice though, as his career has been marred by inconsistencies. To say that he is a clear upgrade would be an overstatement. Green has a chance to start still, but he needs to show some semblance of improvement.
The center job is wide open, but Green will have to show a level of consistency and improvement in his play in order for the team to trust him. If he looks like he is taking a jump in his second year, he can resume his role as a starter. If not, Green could fall down the depth chart and be nothing more than an afterthought in 2022.
Steelers McFarland
While the Steelers have a talented running back in Najee Harris set to be the bell cow, there is essentially nothing behind him. Benny Snell is the favorite, but he is a better special teams player than an actual runner. He is an ineffective weapon when actually tasked with carrying the ball. The team can and should find a better running back to back up Harris.
One of the names that should slot into that competition is Anthony McFarland. The former fourth-round pick is a speedy back that could, in theory, be a change of pace option, but he has failed to make much of an impact so far. Worse yet, McFarland doesn’t offer much on special teams. Compare that to the other option like Snell and even the undrafted running backs and it seems like McFarland will have to look like a legitimate threat on offense.
In theory, a player like McFarland should excel in training camp. He has the speed to make big plays both on the practice field and during games. If he doesn’t have that impact in camp though this year, odds are he doesn’t make the roster. He needs to look like a legitimate weapon at this point. If not, don’t be surprised to see McFarland get cut in favor of someone else.
Steelers Rudolph
There may not be a Steelers player on the roster who has seen his stock take a bigger hit this offseason than Mason Rudolph. He signed an extension last year, seemingly putting him in a position to compete to be Ben Roethlisberger’s replacement. The team then turned around and brought in three new quarterbacks to compete with Rudolph, and he is clearly the lesser of two of those names.
The Steelers made an early splash and signed Mitchell Trubisky to be their transitional quarterback. During the draft, the team landed Kenny Pickett in the first round. Considering Pickett is relatively pro-ready, that leaves Rudolph as the third quarterback on the roster. At his salary, it seems unlikely that he is kept in that role. That was made even more apparent when the team selected a second quarterback at the end of the draft.
While Rudolph could still wind up making the roster, the odds seem long right now. Had the team drafted more of a developmental name instead of Pickett, then the argument would have been clearer. Now, Rudolph is the clear third-best option in a room with two names that should be more likely to stick with the team long term. He needs to make himself uncuttable during camp, as the odds are stacked against him.
The Steelers roster is likely set heading into camp, but these five players will be fighting for a lot once the team comes together. Each of these five names will need to be playing at an elite level if they don’t want to lose out on their roster spot. Keep them in mind as the team tries to sort out their final roster.