With cut-down day officially past us, the most notable roster moves moving forward will be the handful of players scooped up on waivers over the next few days. The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of several teams whose initial 53-man roster will look very different before Week 1 rolls around, and they could be very active on the waiver wire.
One player who I expect to garner interest from teams is former first-round pick Cole Strange. The New England Patriots surprised just about everyone when they selected Strange 29th overall in 2022, and now he finds himself without a home just four years into his career.
The athletic guard has shown flashes during his first three seasons, but inconsistency and injuries have kept him from becoming an established starter. Pittsburgh could use more versatile depth along its interior offensive line, and Strange fits the bill and could be had for cheap.
Pittsburgh Steelers should look to add former Patriots' draft bust Cole Strange
While I think it's fair to consider Strange a bust (especially after his release), he hasn't been a complete disaster when he has been out there. The problem is that he has played just 13 games over the past two years after starting all 17 game sin his rookie season.
It's extremely difficult to develop as an offensive lineman without getting plenty of live reps, especially for someone like Strange coming out of a small school like Chattanooga. His rookie season was predictably rough, but he showed signs of growth in his second year before a torn patellar tendon derailed it.
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His third season was essentially a complete wash, as he didn't make it back from his knee injury until the last few weeks of the season. The only notable development was his getting snaps at center instead of his usual left guard position, something that makes him an especially good fit as a potential backup in Pittsburgh.
As of now, the top backup at center looks to be Ryan McCollum, who dealt with injuries and played just okay in his one appearance in the preseason. If the Steelers could replace him with a much more athletic Strange, it would give them more upside in the event star center Zach Frazier were to miss time.
Strange would likely be an upgrade over top backup guard Spencer Anderson, so his addition would raise the floor of the entire interior depth chart. Given his contract is that of a first-round pick, he may end up passing through waivers and be available to sign anywhere. If that happens, I would at least kick the tires on him.