5 Steelers just one step away from locking up a roster spot

Montravius Adams is surprising the Steelers

A name I wrote off early this offseason was Montravius Adams. While I wasn’t surprised that the team kept him into training camp, his elevated salary along with three names that could take his role, including a second-round pick, made him seem very expendable. Add in his poor play from a year ago and Adams seemed like an easy end-of-camp cut candidate.

Since then, he has been doing everything right. While he isn’t the flashiest name along the defensive line, he has looked a lot more stout against the run and has regularly been a winner in drills. Adams did more than enough to get looks as the starter in the first preseason game because of his strong practices.

Keeanu Benton will be the starter here sooner than later. He was an absolute force in the first preseason game, constantly finding ways to get into the opposing backfield and disrupt plays. I’m not arguing that Adams will be kept as a starter, but he could easily be the backup nose tackle and could take snaps elsewhere along the defensive line.

Of all the nose tackles not named Benton, Adams has been the best overall. Add in his versatility elsewhere and you have a strong backup candidate with some versatility. Even with a slightly higher salary, Adams can likely clinch a roster spot with a continuation of his good play through practice and into the second preseason game.