It is still an extremely early time for NFL franchises as they head into July. Rosters are far from set despite some early practices, and nothing is certain with training camp just around the corner. The Steelers have seen their fair share of players rise over the past few weeks, but nothing will be certain until the final round of cuts are made.
That said, there have already been some clear fallers on this roster. This could be for a myriad of reasons, from new players added to replace them, to disappointing practices or comments, and often a combination of all three. While there is plenty of time for a rebound, these four Steelers have been the biggest fallers so far through the offseason.
Steelers Zach Gentry is in a hard spot
Those of you that know me know that I irrationally love Zach Gentry. The former fifth-round pick looked like he was on his way off the team a few seasons ago, but some major steps forward as a blocker under the tutelage of Alfredo Roberts has allowed him to carve out a role for this team.
That didn’t make him a priority this offseason, as Gentry resigned on a cheap deal that does anything but lock him into a roster spot for the offense. Add in Darnell Washington, who will likely take on the role of blocking tight end sooner than later, and Gentry may be in a tough spot.
It likely depends on how the team treats the fullback position. If they want a traditional option like Monte Pottebaum, I doubt the team carries an additional four tight ends on top of that. If Connor Heyward adds fullback work to his resume while retaining his role from last season, four tight ends make the most sense.
Gentry would make sense for an offense that wants to go heavier and bully defenses. That said, he was essentially upgraded in the offseason and may not have a set spot anymore. I’m rooting for him, likely more than most, but Gentry definitely lost some steam during this offseason.
Steelers aren’t content with Montravius Adams
Montravius Adams has been a relative surprise player for the Steelers. Added during the Covid season, Adams quickly earned an active spot due to a combination of good play and injuries. He flashed early on and did enough to earn an extension in the offseason.
Last season was mostly a disappointment. While Tyson Alualu got the initial nod as the nose tackle, he was quickly phased out due to his own regression. Adams saw an increased workload and was mostly ineffective. The glimpses of good play were gone, and it appears more and more likely that he was just a flash in the pan.
While he hasn’t been directly cut yet, the odds don’t seem to be in his favor. The Steelers likely have their new nose tackle set in second-round draft pick Keeanu Benton. While Benton can play all along the line, his initial home seems to be the inside as he learns the pro game.
That alone isn’t the end of the world for Adams. His salary, while slightly bloated, isn’t unmanageable. If Benton was the only addition, Adams would likely still be the favorite to back him up.
The team also added veterans Breiden Fehoko and Armon Watts to the fold. Neither are locks in their own right to make the team, and Watts may serve as more of a defensive end that can kick inside, but that is some stiff competition for the nose tackle role.
Adams went from de facto starting nose tackle to fighting for a roster spot as a backup. The added cap savings, while slight, from releasing him also aren’t working in his favor. He certainly has seen his stock fall during this off-season program.
Steelers don’t think Mark Robinson is ready
The Steelers overhauled their linebacker room this offseason. Myles Jack and Devin Bush both were disappointments for this defense, and the room as a whole failed to provide much splash. Now, the only returning member to this group is Mark Robinson, a seventh-round pick from a year ago that flashed some talent at times.
Pittsburgh didn’t stand idly by with this group this offseason though. They were quick to add veteran Cole Holcomb on a three-year deal, and he figures to be the team’s primary linebacker this year. They also signed Elandon Roberts, whose style of play is similar to Robinson’s.
This wasn’t a real blow to Robinson, as everyone expected some new faces in this room. Robinson also wasn’t in a position to be handed the starting role either. It seemed like a fair fight between him and Roberts as to who would be the other starter for this defense.
Then Teryl Austin came out and said that Robinson was still a year away from starting. With the room as it was, those comments weren’t great. Equally so though, it could have been seen as a way to push Robinson and add some fuel to his fire before training camp began.
Then the team went out and signed Nick Kwiatkowski. While his deal isn’t for much, he adds another experienced name that could start if need be and can also play special teams. He seems like the favorite to be the third linebacker off the bench, which further damages Robinson’s chances of contributing this season.
No, Robinson is still a safe name on the roster, but his odds of making a second-year jump seem slim. Despite being the only returning linebacker on this roster, he seems buried already, and the team seems to think he needs some more time before he can play. Despite showing nothing but promise, Robinson seems poised to slip this season.
Steelers have seemingly cut ties with Kevin Dotson
It hasn’t been a good offseason for the former fourth-round pick. Kevin Dotson has been the established starting guard for the past two seasons, and while he has flashed some elite play at times, he has struggled with poor showings as well. Consistency has been the biggest issue, as Dotson can go from one play looking like a mauler to the next blowing an assignment.
Pittsburgh was quick to sign Nate Herbig once free agency opened. This wasn’t a huge surprise, as Herbig can play all over the interior of a line and could start at guard. Healthy competition was expected for Dotson, and the team seemingly added that in Herbig.
The issue came once the Steelers announced a deal had been made with Isaac Seumalo. The former Eagles guard was seen as one of the top linemen in free agency, and his addition means that both guard spots are set for the team. Herbig was also signed to a moderate deal, which meant Dotson was suddenly fighting for a roster spot.
His comments during early practices haven’t provided many positives either. He is resigned to the fact that he has been replaced and hasn’t shown much of a desire to fight for a role on this team. Going from starter to battling for a backup spot is never great, but Dotson’s clear desire to just be off the team as opposed to fighting for playing time makes him the biggest faller of the offseason.
While it is still extremely early for the Steelers to call it on a lot of positional battles, there have been some obvious fallers so far in the offseason. New players in front of them along with poor showings and interviews have caused these four players in particular to fall down the depth chart.