While many Steelers fans have already written off these four players, don’t be surprised if their roster spots are safer than you think.
The NFL is a cyclical business; every season new players receive deals. The following year, those that underperformed or are deemed overpaid are cut to create cap space to hand out more new deals. The Steelers are no exception to this rule, as they typically see a wave of middle-of-the-road free agents get brought in only for them to be cut the following season.
Just as before, this team will be making quite a few cuts to their roster to free up cap space for this offseason. That said, there are some players currently on this roster that, despite an outcry from fans, may have safer jobs than you think. Here are four Steelers players whose roster spots aren’t in as much danger as you think.
Steelers may hold onto Montravius Adams for a bit
The Steelers have had extremely lackluster nose tackle play for the past two seasons, and while the hope was that the combination of Montravius Adams and Tyson Alualu would get the job done, but neither did a great job. Alualu is likely to retire while Adams still has one more season left on his current contract.
While I hope he isn’t designated as the starter, his contract is cheap and can be dealt with later in the offseason if need be. If the team cut him, their nose tackle room would suddenly be empty. While I wouldn’t count him as a roster lock, I wouldn’t be shocked to see him brought into camp and be given the chance to compete for a roster spot. That said, I don’t see him as an early cut for this roster.
Steelers love Benny Snell football
The only name on this list not currently under contract, everyone seems to dislike Benny Snell for some reason. While he isn’t a great offensive weapon, he can run with power and give the team some short-yardage work. Where he really excels is on special teams. Since being drafted, he has carved out a role as a core member of the coverage unit.
More importantly, the Steelers seem to trust him. When the Steelers needed running back help against the Colts, Snell was the guy they relied on. The results weren’t anything amazing, but he more than held his own and provided the offense with some consistent power running plays.
No, he shouldn’t be the primary backup, but Snell is a fine third option that can contribute as much on special teams as he does on offense. Assuming he accepts a veteran minimum contract, I do think the Steelers would be happy to welcome him back. Don’t be surprised to see him get offered a cheap deal to provide depth to this unit once again in 2023.
The Steelers may once again rely on Arthur Maulet
A name that gets unfairly hated amongst Steelers nation, Arthur Maulet is who he is. Physical and hard-hitting, this is a linebacker in the body of a slot cornerback. Unfortunately, he has the coverage skills of a linebacker, which makes him a liability on passing downs. That said, he can be a viable run-defending defensive back.
The issue was, the Steelers needed him to play more in the slot on passing downs due to injuries. There, he was exposed for the poor coverage player that he is. Keeping him limited to two-down defensive work though made him a valuable contributor to this defense. They could stay in nickel on running downs knowing that they had Maulet who could play the run.
With Cameron Sutton no lock to return, Maulet would be a smart player to keep around. His contract is cheap, he brings a lot of fire to the defense, and while he shouldn’t be used on passing downs, he can serve a role in run defense. No, don’t pencil him in as the primary starter in the slot, but Maulet should be kept through at least training camp in case they need him.
Steelers are lacking options besides Myles Jack
This is a really hard situation to gauge. Myles Jack was brought in to be a stabilizing force for this linebacker room, but instead, he struggled for most of the year and eventually was benched late in the year. Despite his struggles, for most of the season, I was under the impression he would be brought back given the lack of depth in the room. Being benched made that hard to believe though.
Jack regressed in 2022, and he didn’t play anywhere near what his contract demanded. That said, if the Steelers cut Jack, they will only have Mark Robinson under contract for next season. That means an entire rebuild of this room. Given the needs elsewhere on the roster, that just seems like a hard pill to swallow.
This seems fifty-fifty to me at this point. While I wouldn’t be shocked to see Jack stick around, he would be doing so at a bloated salary. What I could see happen is he gets cut after the draft assuming the team is comfortable with who was brought in. Don’t be surprised to see Jack stick around longer than you might think though.
While the Steelers will make a flurry of cuts in order to free up cap space, these four players stick out as names that may be safer than you would think. Perhaps it’s as insurance or it’s due to their underrated value, but don’t be surprised to see these four names hang around this roster in 2023.