Steelers roster: Pittsburgh sign familiar faces to the practice squad

The Pittsburgh Steelers were forced to get their roster down to just 53 players prior to the cut-down deadline, but some familiar faces are joining them on the practice squad.

When you have to cut over two dozen players in a twenty-four-hour period, not every fan was going to be one board with some of the tough decisions NFL organizations have to make. This proved to be the case with the Pittsburgh Steelers following final roster cuts on August 30th. While we knew most of these players had to go, there are a few decisions many fans would like to have back.

Among the best players the Steelers were forced to cut were RB Anthony McFarland, DT Carlos Davis, and OG John Leglue. Fortunately, Omar Khan was able to sign them back to the practice squad. According to Teresa Varley of Steelers.com, Pittsburgh was able to retain OL John Leglue, William Dunkle, and Ryan McCollum, DL Carlos Davis, RB Anthony McFarland, EDGE Hamilcar Rashed, S Elijah Riley, and WR Cody White.

In the flurry of moves made around the league since the cut-downs, the Steelers were not able to bring back DL Henry Mondeaux, as Aaron Wilson reported he has signed with the Giants practice squad. Carlos Davis’ twin brother, Khalil, was not signed to Pittsburgh’s practice squad either.

Steelers add familiar faces as insurance policies

This is such a tough time for many players around the league, but Steelers fans should be encouraged by the practice squad signing they have made so far. While we knew that Carlos Davis wasn’t going to make the roster considering the depth of the interior defensive line, he’s a quality addition to the practice squad and will be brought up to the roster in the event of an injury.

John Leglue was a fan favorite since jumping onto the scene as a stop-gap starter late last season at guard. He had a pretty strong summer, and the team could call upon him at some point this season. The same goes for Anthony McFarland at the running back position.

While most players on the practice squad won’t end up seeing the field for regular-season action, it’s nice to have many of these players back as an insurance policy. If Najee Harris were to get injured, for example, McFarland could be promoted to the 53-man roster to give them a spark in the running game during Harris’ absence.

These players could also see the field at some point if the backups on the team aren’t meeting expectations. Many fans didn’t feel that Kendrick Green was deserving of a roster spot after how poorly he played this summer. If he gets an opportunity during the season and underwhelms yet again, the team could bring up a player like John Leglue.

The Pittsburgh Steelers can sign as many as 16 players to their practice squad and only 8 spots have been filled so far. Chances are they aren’t done making additions just yet. There are plenty of players on the market following roster cuts, and Omar Khan is likely to add more insurance by signing additional players to the practice squad.