4 Steelers fan favorites who are in danger of being cut before Week 1
By Andrew Falce
The entire league has to make some hard cuts every offseason. The back half of any given roster has to be trimmed down, and some names that fans have grown to like are ultimately waived. This includes anyone from unheralded players from previous seasons to training camp standouts.
I was trying to compile a list of fan favorites that are at risk of being cut, and knowing the opinion of most fans, it was a harder-than-expected list to make. Every fanbase, ours included, seemingly gets frustrated when their reserves aren’t superstars. The perfect example? James Pierre, who isn’t locked into a roster spot by any means, is a good reserve with special teams ability, but the fan base seems mostly against him for some reason.
That being said, I have found some names that make sense. While most would argue that these players are safe, and the fanbase has a generally positive outlook on the player, they are at serious risk of getting cut. Here are four Steelers fan-favorites that may get cut in training camp.
Steelers may cut Quincy Roche (again)
The Quincy Roche hype train isn’t as hot as it once was. When the Steelers drafted him in the sixth round a few seasons ago, he seemed like a steal. He was a productive player in college and had the potential to go late on day two.
He had a fine training camp, but ultimately lost his spot to the special teams savvy Jamir Jones. The Giants claimed him and he went on to play 42 percent of the defensive snaps for them as a rookie, and he logged 2.5 sacks. The same couldn’t be said for last season, as he only saw six snaps on defense and was eventually cut. The good news is that he was a regular special teams player with New York.
He now enters a very crowded edge rusher room and is the fifth option at a position that may only keep four. Frankly, I could see him battling for a spot with another name on this list as the final linebacker kept. While the fanbase has cooled on Roche, those expecting a redemption story may be disappointed.