Steelers must find a way to bring in these cut NFL players

All NFL teams had to cut their rosters down to 85 players yesterday, and these four cuts should interest the Steelers.

The NFL mandated that all teams trim their roster to 85 players, and because of this, a wealth of new bodies are now available. The Steelers have quite a few strengths on their roster, but they could certainly still use some fresh bodies at certain positions. Quite a few of these cutdown names would make a lot of sense for the team.

Before anyone talks about targeting another team’s “trash”, please remember the type of player you are looking for with these cutdowns. You aren’t looking for starters, you are looking for bodies that can play reps in practice and during the preseason. If they make the roster, it is as a backup, but most would likely be looking at practice squad roles.

With all of that said, here are four NFL cuts that the Steelers should bring in.

Spriggs could fill out the tackle depth chart

The Steelers have a decent trio of tackles to protect their quarterback, but options are thinning behind that group. While giving those players some reps is important, you also keep them at risk of injury by playing them in the preseason. Another capable body would make sense for this line to utilize.

Jason Spriggs is a tenured NFL veteran with experience at both tackle spots. His play hasn’t been amazing, but he can more than hold his own and serve as a swing tackle in a pinch. A roster spot wouldn’t likely be in his future, but a potential practice squad spot is available. The Steelers can’t afford to trot out bad backups though. They are blocking a valuable quarterback, and the risk of injuries goes way up if the team ignores their tackle depth going forward.

Lee could add to a lackluster LB room

Things are starting to look bad for the Steelers at linebacker. Devin Bush has been the talk of the team, and not in a positive way. His first preseason game was bad, and his reps in camp haven’t been much better. The team has few options at linebacker and adding another name with some experience would make a lot of sense.

Marquel Lee is a name that would make a lot of sense right now. The former Raider looked like a potential starter early in his career, but injuries forced Las Vegas to look elsewhere. While throwing him out as a starter isn’t a great idea, Lee can be a good backup who can push the starters. Add in his special teams’ ability and he would help strengthen this linebacker room.

Wilkins can add to a hurt RB depth chart

The Steelers got a surprising number of good snaps out of their backup running backs against the Seahawks. While it is now possible to envision a scenario where the team keeps what they have heading into the regular season, injuries and competition make adding another capable body here sensical.

The Titans parted ways with veteran back Jordan Wilkins, and he would make a lot of sense for the Steelers to add. His best seasons came with the Colts, where he served as a versatile backup and he produced well enough. He can also play special teams, further adding to his value. With Master Teague injured, adding Wilkins makes a lot of sense.

Jenkins can be the Steelers top backup edge

As stated earlier, when looking over the names cut, most of these names would be deep reserves at best. This isn’t the case with Jordan Jenkins, as the former third-round pick is a quality edge rusher who could easily slot in as the Steelers top backup. Houston fans seemed surprised that he was cut due to the value he provided as a backup pass rusher.

Jenkins has had success in the NFL, posting 15 sacks between 2018 and 2019 with the Jets. While you wouldn’t want him to serve as a traditional starter, having him rotate in with starters and play in case of injury makes sense. Add in his special teams’ ability and the Steelers need to consider adding Jenkins to their depth chart.

With the NFL mandating that rosters get cut down to 85, the Steelers now have some fresh faces to consider adding to their camp roster. These four, in particular, stand out as the best options, as each would help fill out the depth chart and some could even become valuable backups for this team.