With cut down day now finished, I wanted to focus on the highs and lows of what turned out to be an eventful few days for the Steelers. While trimming the roster is already a tall task, adding waiver targets, practice squad players, and ironing out any last-minute trades makes this an exciting time.
While these moves pale in comparison to some of the other offseason ones, they are still important in preparing this team for the regular season. The initial roster has been set, and while more shuffling may occur, this is the majority of the team we will be watching this season. Here are the three best, and two worst, moves from cutdown day.
Steelers best move #1: No added trades
It had become somewhat of a common fact that the Steelers would be looking to add some players at the end of every training camp via trade. Kevin Colbert made this a common theme, swapping and sending mid-round draft picks for the likes of Ahkello Witherspoon, Vance McDonald, and Justin Gilbert, just to name a few moves. Omar Khan followed suit in this tradition last season, acquiring Malik Reed and Jesse Davis for late-round picks.
While the occasional trade makes sense, doing this every year quickly depletes draft resources. Because of various moves like this, the Steelers didn’t have selections between the fourth and seventh rounds of the draft this season. That means you are missing out on some of the meat of draft day which limits the talent you can acquire.
This year was different though, as while two trades were completed, both involved the Steelers sending a player away and acquiring picks. Khan was focused on building the depth of this team, and it paid off. While not every notable depth player made this roster, it gave this team flexibility on cutdown day. Again, trades like this aren’t the end of the world, and sometimes they are fruitful, but not having to complete deals like this will afford the team some more picks in future drafts.
Steelers worst move #1: Gunner Olszewski
To be fair, I predicted that Gunner Olszewski would ultimately make the final roster for the Steelers after a decent training camp. He played like he did last year, aggressive for his size and with a chip on his shoulder. The issue isn’t his attitude, it is his limitations.
Initially brought in as a return man first and foremost, Olszewski couldn’t hang onto the role. He proved inefficient on both kick and punt returns, and he struggled to not cough up the ball specifically during punts. This was costly in a few games and it ultimately led to him being benched for Steven Sims.
The Steelers still tried to use him as a receiver, but the results were lackluster. He gives his all as a blocker, but he wasn’t dynamic with the ball in his hands and poised no threat to defenses. Heading into this offseason with a cuttable salary, I firmly expected Olszewski to be an eventual cut candidate.
Instead, the team appears set to hang onto Olszewski as the sixth receiver and likely inactive roster member this year. Had he been on a minimum contract, that would have been fine, but I would have taken the cap savings, however slim, over him hanging around this season.
If Pittsburgh was set on keeping six receivers, they could have added a handful of other names that were cut instead. From other return-capable players to young names the Steelers had interest in at one point, to even Sims, who failed to make the Texans roster, there were a plethora of better options than keeping Olszewski around this year.
Steelers best move #2: Trading Kendrick Green
Am I celebrating a 2025 6th-round pick? You bet!
The Kendrick Green saga officially came to an end when it was announced that the Texans were sending the aforementioned pick for him. More than likely, the Green saga was going to end regardless, as his roster odds didn’t seem great. Despite this being his third season in the league, Green still looked like a mess and was constantly beaten in training camp and the preseason.
The fact that the Steelers got anything for Green is quite an accomplishment. I get that he has some pedigree as a former third-round pick, but positive tape of his play is few and far between. I figured Green was getting dealt for a conditional seventh-round pick in the future and was shocked when the actual details broke.
Offensive linemen are in demand, but Green got more value than players like Isaiah Simmons and Albert Okwegbunam. I would argue that both are better than Green, as at least they aren’t a regular detriment to the team they are on when on the field.
Add in the fact that the Texans were second on the waiver wire, meaning they would have had top dibs on Green, which makes this trade really confusing. That said, I’m not going to question it. The Steelers got a decent pick for a player of no value to them. I was shocked when a deal was announced, but it is easily one of the best moves this team could have made during roster cutdowns.
Steelers worst move #2: Keeping Braden Mann
This was one of the more puzzling occurrences from roster cutdowns. The Steelers trimmed their team down and even announced the initial roster which included both punters. No team keeps two punters on their active roster, so something was up.
Speculation quickly swirled that another trade was in the works. Philadelphia was a natural target, as they were without a punter initially after they made their respective cuts. I was skeptical, as most trades occur before cuts. I thought there was a chance that one of the punters was heading to injured reserve, as they would be eligible to return after making the initial roster.
Ultimately, it was none of that. Mann was released the next day to make room for a new face, and it still leaves the unanswered question of why he was initially kept. Worse yet, keeping him meant the team had to lose someone else. The Tanner Muse release was a surprise, and I have to wonder if there was a plan to bring him back after the Mann ordeal was settled.
Honestly, this is more confusing than damaging. There seemingly was no reason for the Steelers to keep him around on the initial roster, and it likely cost a player with a future here the chances of sticking around. No, it isn’t the end of the world, but hanging onto Mann was one of the weirdest moves the Steelers ended up making.
Steelers best move #3: Signing Desmond King
Wrapping up with the most notable move, the Steelers remained aggressive and signed veteran defensive back Desmond King after the Texans cut him. King was a surprise cut candidate, as he performed well with the Texans and can line up in multiple places for a defense.
While it isn’t rare for the Steelers to trade for a player on cut-down day, seeing them sign a potential impact veteran is. If anyone is signed, it is normally as a depth piece that helps fill out the roster. King isn’t that. He is a vested player at this point and appears to be the most natural fit to play in the slot.
Seeing yet another aggressive move is refreshing for this team. While some questions still need to be answered with King joining the team, he makes the group better. He should be in line to be the primary slot cornerback sooner than later, and getting him for nothing is a huge win for this team.
It was an eventful cutdown day for the Steelers, as they trimmed their roster down as well as traded a few names to other teams. This roster appears to be strong heading into the season, and I am excited to see how this team unfolds under this new regime.