While the Steelers offseason roster seems mostly set at this point, these four players should be moved on from sooner rather than later.
The Steelers roster has seen a surplus of change this offseason. From having to move on from their starting quarterback to revamping the receiver room, there are a lot of new faces on this squad. Some of the older ones now are now fighting for roster spots though. In particular, these four players should be cut by the Steelers before they even take a snap.
Steelers Edmunds
No, this doesn’t have anything to do with Terrell Edmunds as his roster spot is locked in at this point as the starting strong safety. His brother, on the other hand, is a limited running back that lacks a defining trait. As an offensive weapon, he doesn’t do much with the ball in his hands nor can he catch well. He can lineup at fullback if needed, which adds to his versatility. That said, he is very much a jack of all trades, master of none type of player.
While many hype him up as a special teams player, he hasn’t been overly effective there either. He isn’t good enough as a runner to make this roster nor is he good enough as a special teams player to earn him a spot either.
Yes, the Steelers are extremely thin at running back right now, but Edmund’s can’t be a solution. His snaps should go to the undrafted players brought in, as either has a better shot at being a solution for this team.
Steelers Mondeaux
A name that saw a surprising amount of playing time last season, Henry Mondeaux proved that he isn’t anything more than a mediocre backup at this point as a player. While expectations weren’t high, Mondeaux’s play was extremely poor on defense. He was a liability when on the field and he was a core reason this run defense struggled as much as it did.
Ideally, you would want a player like Mondeaux only seeing the field on special teams. While not elite there, he can contribute on every phase there. His versatility as a special teams defender is the only reason he has a shot at making this squad. He proved last season that he can’t see snaps along the line without being a liability.
Further adding to his misery is the fact that the Steelers added another defensive lineman in the draft. Now, there are six secure spots on the roster assuming Stephon Tuitt returns. Even if he doesn’t, his defensive play from last season will likely lead to him getting cut. There is little reason for Mondeaux to be taking snaps with this team this offseason.
Steelers Joseph
When the Steelers initially signed Karl Joseph back to the roster, it seemed like he was going to be the team’s insurance policy at strong safety heading into the draft. Then, Terrell Edmunds was re-signed and now he finds himself in an eerily similar position as he was last year. While safety has some long-term questions, it seems unlikely he sticks around through this season.
The team added Joseph last year after roster cutdowns. He sat on their practice squad for most of the season though, as the team opted not to play him. Even a player like Miles Killibrew got to see the field before Joseph. With his special team’s ability not being anything notable, it seems unlikely that the team tries to keep him around, as he is limited to only being a defensive backup with no real special teams value.
Add in names like Tre Norwood and Damontae Kazee also available to play safety and odds seem slim for Joseph. His only chance of seeing the field is if an injury occurs to Edmunds before the season starts. That said, the team may be better off finding a better starting option at that point if that is needed. There isn’t a huge point in keeping Joseph around at this point.
Steelers Rudolph
It is no secret that Mason Rudolph had to have had one of the worst offseasons for any Steelers player. Right after the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, Rudolph found himself as the top name to potentially replace him due to his experience with the team. Fast forward to now and there is a real chance that Rudolph doesn’t even make the final squad.
The Steelers made the predicted move of adding a better transitional quarterback in free agency. It shocked no one that Mitchell Trubisky was added, and even if Rudolph lost out on the starting battle, he could have been the backup. The team followed up that move by drafting pro-ready quarterback Kenny Pickett in the first round. This leaves Rudolph as a relatively distant third option.
At his price range, he isn’t worth it to be the team’s third quarterback. Add in the second quarterback drafted by the team and it seems like Rudolph’s days are numbered. His camp snaps would be better served if given to one of the new faces on the team. He isn’t worth a roster spot after the heavy investment in the position in the offseason. If the team can trade him, they should, but if not, he needs to be cut.
The Steelers will have quite a few tough decisions to make this offseason regarding positional battles. That said, these four moves are easy and clear to see. Moving on from any of these four players is a sensible move and one that the team should make sooner rather than later.