While these players would appear to be safe, don’t be surprised if these three Steelers end up getting cut following training camp.
Though there is still a lot of time between now and when the Steelers have to make their final cuts, there are some names that naturally appear to be safe.
That said, the team has made quite a few surprise cuts in recent years, and this year will be no different. Here are three players that could be surprise cuts for the Steelers after training camp.
Steelers Olszewski
The Steelers lost their primary return man during the offseason when Ray-Ray McCloud signed a deal with the 49ers. The team turned around and signed a more established special teams threat in Gunner Olszewski. There is a lot to like about his game. He can return kicks and punts, and work on the coverage unit for special teams.
While he provides a niche role for the team, he is now facing some stiff competition as a return man. Calvin Austin has some experience returning in college, and the Steelers may want to try and get their rookie investment on the field sooner than later. If that happens, Olszewski suddenly loses half of the value he added to the roster.
Though being able to serve on the coverage unit can keep Olszewski around even if he isn’t returning punts and kicks, it makes his path to the roster that much harder. He needs to prove himself to the team early and establish himself as a leader on special teams. If not, his tenure with the Steelers may be a short one.
Steelers Norwood
One of the big surprises from the 2021 draft class was defensive back, Tre Norwood. He exceeded all expectations as a rookie. Most saw him as a developmental backup, but the Steelers got him on the field early. He took his lumps, but once he settled into playing almost exclusively out of the slot, Norwood became a consistent defender and an impact player for this defense.
His job security has become a lot murkier though this offseason. As stated before, he benefited from only focusing on the slot and not a variety of other things. The team did bring back Arthur Maulet for that role as well as signed Damontae Kazee after the draft. Both will likely take snaps away from Norwood in the slot.
The real concern is in the cornerback room. The team brought back Ahkello Witherspoon and signed Levi Wallace. Both are exclusively outside cornerbacks. Cameron Sutton, on the other hand, can play inside. Perhaps the Steelers are planning on playing him more there this season. It is a really murky situation right now for Norwood and the Steelers. He showed up as a rookie, but the opportunity may be gone by the time the season starts.
Steelers Snell
When the Steelers selected Benny Snell in the draft, it wasn’t hard to see why. He was wildly productive in the SEC, and he had the size the team wants in a runner. His lack of explosion and playing behind a subpar offensive line has limited him though. While he is in no way competing for a starting job this summer, he is the current incumbent to be the team’s top backup.
That all said, the reason he is a favorite to make the roster isn’t his abilities as a runner, it’s due to his special team’s play. He has become a quality fixture there, and even though his offensive snaps are bad, he does well in the third phase of the game. That can be replaced though, and if the team can find a more competent runner, they should give him Snell’s job.
Luckily for Snell, the Steelers failed to add much to the running back room in the offseason. While the competition there should still be fierce, Snell has quite the advantage as of now. That said, a lot can change between now and then, as the team can (and should) add a more accomplished reserve back. Snell’s spot isn’t a lock right now and treating it as such isn’t a wise move.
The Steelers have a slew of players that appear to be safe heading into training camp. That said, these four could end up being surprise cuts. If they lose out on their intended roles and fall behind in a deep depth chart, the team may have no choice but to move on from them once camp finishes up.