5 Steelers playing for their jobs at training camp

3. Steelers will need a good reason to keep Montravius Adams

The Steelers banked on Montravius Adams showcasing some of his former talent after Tyson Alualu struggled last season. Adams had flashed the ability to learn quickly and make an impact when he joined the team, but the extra season under his belt didn’t seem to help him. He was abysmal last year.

The Steelers are keen to this fact, as they have been very open about replacing Adams this offseason. They signed two nose tackle-capable bodies, and while neither are superstars, the pressure is clearly on. Worse yet for Adams, the team used their second-round pick on Keeanu Benton. While Benton may move around eventually, he seems poised to be the nose tackle this season.

With Adams in the second year of his contract, he isn’t owed a lot of money, but there is some cap savings by cutting him. That means that he doesn’t just have to prove to be a viable backup, he also needs to prove that he is worth keeping at a higher price tag than the other options on the roster.

Adams needs to recapture some of the solid play he had as a reserve a couple of seasons ago. There is a wide-open battle at nose tackle for who will be the top backup. It certainly doesn’t benefit Adams that he also needs to justify his price tag being higher than the other options. He is in a major fight not only for the starting job but his actual roster spot.