3 Steelers candidates to be cut going into the summer
By Tommy Jaggi
Rookie minicamp is in the books, and the Pittsburgh Steelers will soon be in the process of finalizing their 90-man summer roster. Even after an active free agency period and an impressive haul in the 2023 NFL Draft, there are a few depth needs heading into the summer.
Outside of starters T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh doesn't have a single edge defender who has proven they can step into a big part-time role at the position. Likewise, slot cornerback was a need even before the team parted ways with Arthur Maulet.
If the Steelers are to explore free agency, they could take some preemptive measures. These three players are already in the hot seat and there's no guarantee they are still with the team at Steelers training camp.
Steelers could cut WR Gunner Olszewski
Though it makes sense to carry Gunner Olszewski on their 90-man roster through the summer, this is a player who may not have a roster spot in 2023. Olszewski fell out of favor as Pittsburgh's return man last season.
While Olszewski still offers special teams value on coverage units, the Steelers suddenly have a packed house at the wide receiver position. Allen Robinson recently joined Pittsburgh via trade while Calvin Austin III and Anthony Miller -- who both spent the entire 2022 season on IR -- are healthy and ready to go.
This could very well leave Olszewski outside of the roster bubble. If the Steelers feel the WR position is plenty deep enough without him, they could save $2 million to put toward depth at a position that is much worse off right now.