It was required by the NFL for clubs to trim their rosters down to 53 players. Each team complied and there was plenty of exciting news to watch happen in real time. The Steelers have their initial 53-man roster set for now, but that will likely change over the next handful of hours. Waiver claims will happen today as each player cut yesterday will have to pass through them.
Once they clear waivers those players will become free agents to sign anywhere in the NFL. Those that clear will probably end up on practice squads when it is all said and done. There are some interesting options on waivers today and the Steelers could be searching for some upgrades on their roster that they will carry into the regular season.
Zach Bailey would provide immediate depth at multiple positions in the trenches
One of the better offensive linemen this preseason was Zach Bailey, formerly of the LA Chargers. He lost out on the numbers game there and was cut yesterday to make room for the 53 in front of him. Bailey is an interesting player as he has shown position flexibility during his career. Guard seems to be his top place to play, but he has also played tackle.
The right side is preferred for him, but that position flexibility will interest Pittsburgh. Without the experience at center that others on waivers have, Bailey might not be as high of a priority as others right now. He would be an upgrade over some depth pieces currently on the roster and could also play at tackle if a lot of injuries hit the tackle position this season.
Nicholas Morrow brings special teams and starting experience at middle linebacker
Inside linebacker currently has four players on the roster and that number likely won't stick. Pittsburgh usually keeps five players at the position throughout a season and that probably won't change for now. There were a couple of shocking cuts by the Steelers at linebacker and it seems like they won't be back at this juncture.
Tanner Muse was the biggest surprise after many thought he would be a nice piece to round out this team. He was cut a little before the deadline and would have provided several different roles to this club. Nick Kwiatkoski was never expected to make the team, but his release was shocking as it marked the club only keeping four linebackers on their initial 53-man roster.
There are a couple of options out there for the black and gold to target and one of them is Nicholas Morrow formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles. He was expected to be the starter next to Nakobe Dean, but that did not materialize. There are plenty of talented linebackers on that defense and that ended up costing Morrow a spot.
He would make a lot of sense for Pittsburgh as he has shown the ability to play on special teams and on defense. Morrow led the Chicago Bears defense in tackles last season and that is something this linebacker group needs. They need depth that has experience at starting at the position and someone who can play valuable snaps on special teams.
Kenny Pickett's old Pitt teammates could provide some immediate depth at center
One of the weakest spots on this roster right now is depth at center. Mason Cole is a solid starting option for the Black and Gold, but there is no proven depth piece behind him. Nate Herbig seems to be the answer there for now, but he does not have much experience at that spot. He has mostly been a guard that could play center if needed.
Expect the Steelers to poke around their options at this spot when it comes to waiver claims over the next few hours. one interesting option with position flexibility is Jimmy Morrissey formerly of the Texans. He has experience at both guard and center and is predominantly a center. He would be able to join the black and gold and fit right in.
He has a connection with the city after playing his college ball at the University of Pittsburgh. He even started at center while Kenny Pickett played there. Morrissey is a former seventh-round selection by the Las Vegas Raiders back in 2021 and is only 25 years old. He would be a great pickup to give the club options at their key depth spot in the interior.
Even if someone like Morrissey is picked up it seems like Herbig will be the primary backup option at center and guard. Morrissey would provide insurance at center in case Herbig struggles at that spot if Cole were to get injured. It makes a lot of sense for Pittsburgh to target this potential depth piece as he goes through the waiver system.
Pittsburgh could claim Darius Rush off waivers sometime today
It has been roughly four months since the NFL Draft has come and gone. Many of the rookies of this past draft class made their rosters, but some of them were not able to do enough to make the cut. One of the highest selections to miss out was Darius Rush. He fell in the draft further than many experts thought he would heading into the event.
When rookies become available, look at how the Steelers interacted with that former prospect during the pre-draft process. We know that the black and gold met with Rush throughout the pre-draft process and even hosted him on a visit. That is telling and the club would probably still like to upgrade the bottom of their depth at outside cornerback.
James Pierre did not earn his spot on the roster, but there were no other options for the Steelers to keep over him. Someone like Rush might be a good option as the club knows him from the draft process and he has some potential to become a starter. he did not make the Indianapolis Colts roster for several reasons.
He missed a lot of time with an injury and that put him behind the eight ball. The Colts also have a deep room at cornerback and that made things even tougher on Rush. Expect Pittsburgh to still be on the lookout to upgrade at corner even though they just added Desmond King earlier today. Rush could be a nice future piece for this team.