3 fringe Steelers players who will make the roster, and 2 who won't

Steelers fringe player that will make the roster: CB James Pierre

The Steelers cornerback room got a makeover this offseason. While James Pierre and Levi Wallace are set to return for another season, they are joined by a savvy veteran in Patrick Peterson and two rookies who may command starting snaps sooner than later. I wouldn’t say either of the returning corners are roster locks, but Pierre is fighting for his job more than Wallace is.

When the roster is ultimately finalized, I do expect Pierre to be on this roster. The simplest reason is that Pierre is an accomplished special teams coverage player. The team lost a few core guys from last year, so having a familiar face will be helpful to that room.

That being said, I also don’t think Pierre’s days as a contributor on defense are over either. While he has been very hot and cold as a player, he had quite a few good games last season. While he did get some help on his side when in coverage, he also was a lot more consistent as a coverage player. He took over for Ahkello Witherspoon once he was injured and never lost that spot.

Not only do I think Pierre makes the roster, but I also don’t think it is impossible that he eventually competes with Wallace for snaps assuming Joey Porter starts sooner than later. Add in the special teams value, and Pierre seems like a good bet to make this squad even if he is fighting for a job right now.

The Steelers are set to begin training camp soon, and while a lot of their roster spots are set, there are quite a few players who are on the proverbial roster bubble. Of that bubble, I think these three players stick while the other two don’t.