It has been a long and bumpy road for some Steelers on the roster. Every year there are some players that are fighting for different things when summer rolls around. They are trying to win different roles, starting spots, or roster spots coming out of training camp. Sometimes a players best is not good enough and these players have a lot of work in front of them.
Everything comes down to this game for these players as they have one final shot to prove to the team that they deserve to stick around. Most of their body of work thus far has been limited leaving people wanting more. These players will need a miracle against the Atlanta Falcons in preseason game three to have a small shot at making this team as they fight for their professional lives.
Kenny Robinson was a nice story while he lasted in Pittsburgh
Despite having a couple of good weeks at camp, Kenny Robinson has not been able to be consistent enough. The local Pittsburgh guy is someone many started to root for as his role unimpededly ramped up with injuries hitting the safety position. Ever since that role increase occurred his promising progress was shown. things have gone haywire.
Robinson has just not looked right ever since that strong string of practices at training camp. He has not been good since then and seemed to regress over the past several weeks since. It would have been nice to of seen Robinson stay consistent enough to challenge some bottom-of-the-roster players at his position. He could revert to a practice squad spot, but don't be shocked if he is gone altogether.
It will take a lot for this Steelers quarterback to stick on the practice squad
Entering the preseason process, the quarterback room was already set unless an injury changed that situation. Kenny Pickett is going to be the starter going forward and he has shown promise during the first couple weeks of the preseason. Mitch Trubisky has not been as consistent as many would hope for, but he is still the second guy behind the starter.
Mason Rudolph was the surprise re-sign this past offseason as he could not find greener grass on the other side of the fence. He was cemented back into the third-string spot behind the two in front of him. That wraps up the room as it provides experience from the top of the order down to the bottom guy. All have varying degrees of starting experience.
Tanner Morgan was a quick addition to the roster as an undrafted free agent shortly after the draft ended. He was perceived as a camp arm and that is exactly what he has been. Even though he has not gotten a lot of snaps during team sessions, he has gotten more opportunities than Chris Oladokun had when he was in the same situation last year.
The Steelers will not keep Morgan no matter what kind of performance he plays with on Thursday. His best chance to stick with the team is if he plays well enough to garner a practice squad spot with the Steelers. Even that option seems farfetched right now. Morgan was used as an extra arm that got a few more chances than Oladokun ever got.
Many thought this linebacker might make it out of the preseason
Unless an unexpected injury happens against the Falcons, the inside linebacker room seems set. Tanner Muse and Nick Kwiatkoski have been fighting for one roster spot ever since Kwon Alexander was a late addition to the roster. Both Muse and Kwiatkoski have special teams experience and different snaps at the starter level.
All of Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, Alexander, and Mark Robinson will make the team. That likely leaves one spot up for grabs to make the club. Muse seems to have the upper hand as he shows a better ability for special teams and provides something different for the position that this team is looking for. Whereas Kwiatkoski fits more of the same when it comes to what Pittsburgh already has.
Health has been another thing that has knocked Kwiatkoski down a few pegs as he missed some time with a shoulder injury in camp and during a game too. Muse has not missed time and that has also worked in his favor. It has been a tight competition and there could be some meat left on the bone heading into the final preseason game.
Muse seems to have that final spot nearly secure, so it will be difficult for Kwiatkoski to find different ways of getting noticed. It would probably take a huge performance for him to stick around when final cuts come around. He would be a solid depth piece for this team, but Muse just makes more sense at this point in time.
Unless a miracle happens it is time to move on from this offensive lineman
There is no question about it, Kendrick Green's time with the Steelers must end. He was the club's third-round selection a couple of years ago and has never been a quality player for them. There has been constant reasoning behind why he was not working out at certain places. It turns out that he just has not been a suitable player for the NFL.
Sometimes players are just not good enough to play in this league, and that is the case for Green. He was not a good starting center during his rookie year. The club tried moving him to guard to challenge for a starting spot and that has not worked out either. He sat on the bench for most of last season and seems to be on the outside looking in.
Luckily for the team, the Steelers went out and found some quality depth pieces to fill out holes in the trenches. That is bad news for Green as he had to rely on hopeful position flexibility to try and regain the coach's attention. They tried him at center, guard, and fullback to try and gain relevance in the hunt to make the final roster yet again.
None of that flexibility means anything if you are unable to play quality snaps at any position. It was interesting to see him lineup at fullback, but he did not block particularly well in that spot. Green is not cut out for the NFL and the black and gold need to let him go. Some other team will give him a shot because of his draft pedigree, but he will not last there either.
A former XFL star hasn't been able to do enough to stick on the Steelers roster
Nothing is over until it's truly over and in this case, that statement is true. Competition for certain spots will not end until the team hands in their roster cuts less than a week from now. It might be hard to get ahead of anyone currently in front of you on the depth chart, but stranger things have happened. Cornerback is a spot where things are still fluid.
Patrick Peterson, Joey Porter Jr., and Levi Wallace are all locks to make this roster and will have significant roles. That leaves the likes of Chandon Sullivan and Elijah Riley battling for the slot cornerback spot on this team. It is possible that the winner of that spot will end up being a backup to Peterson, but that is still being figured out.
With both Sullivan and Riley potentially making this roster, that maybe leaves one spot open. James Pierre is the odds-on favorite to make this team out of the preseason right now. Someone like Luq Barcoo concluded training camp with a couple of strong practices and has played respectable during the first two games.
The former XFL stand-out has just not done enough or been consistent enough up to this point. He needs to have a lights-out game that shows he can be effective against the run and create some turnovers if the ball comes his way. Barcoo might be a good practice squad candidate as there seems to be some potential there, but Pierre has too much experience to be booted for Barcoo.