The Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for the last stretch of the offseason. The focus is on creating the best active roster from the current group of players, and the goal of adding talent when possible is also still a must.
For the Steelers, they may have just been delivered a gift of a player by the 49ers.
While not a top name in this draft class, Khalil Dinkins was a popular name for the Steelers ahead of the draft. The former Penn State product was a solid player in college with mediocre size and receiving ability that limited his upside.
However, his floor seems pretty clear as well. He can be a fine second or third option who can throw a block and serve as a possession receiver for a team.
Now, without a team, the Steelers need to pounce and add him to their tight end room ahead of training camp getting underway.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should add Khalil Dinkins to the offseason roster
Dinkins was one of the few tight ends that the Steelers showed interest in during the pre-draft process. Not one of the top needs on the team, the thought was that Pittsburgh would take advantage of a deep pool of tight ends and draft someone to develop.
While they took Riley Nowakowski, he feels like more of a hybrid player. His long-term success starts at fullback; any tight end work is just gravy.
If the team wants to keep a conventional third tight end, the room is pretty open right now. Robert Tonyan is the best bet of the bunch, but his roster spot is not a lock yet by any means.
Could Dinkins steal a spot? Potentially. Even if he doesn’t, he would present the best developmental option compared to what the team currently has on the roster.
He is a jack-of-all-trades, and while that likely keeps him from ever being a true top option, he can at least turn into a dependable backup.
While I didn’t have a high grade on Dinkins, I did think he was draftable. The league was apparently competitive in trying to sign him as an undrafted free agent, as the 49ers guaranteed $275,000 of his contract, a relatively high number.
Now, he could enter free agency without the pressing need to compete with other teams for undrafted rookie contracts. He is also a local player, so the opportunity to play close to home would be appealing.
Does adding Dinkins make or break this team? Of course not. That said, he could serve as a developmental option for the team either on the active roster or on the practice squad. The links are there, and Pittsburgh would be smart to try to bring him in.
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