7 former Steelers draft picks in danger of missing the 53-man roster

Steelers could cut Quincy Roche again

It was a relative surprise to see Quincy Roche come back to the Steelers this offseason. While the former sixth-round pick was seen as a draft day steal at the time, he was cut after camp and was scooped up by the Giants. He played as a reserve there that year and was a practice squad name there this past season.

He rejoined this team as a futures player, and it initially looked like he would have a clear path to the roster. That wasn’t due to him being a supreme talent, but instead because of the fact that the Steelers lacked edge depth. Roche had some experience there, which gave him an early edge.

Even after Nick Herbig was drafted, Roche was still firmly the fourth edge rusher, and one could argue that he was the best pure backup edge rusher given Herbig’s lack of pro size. That is no longer the case, as Markus Golden was signed, and while his deal doesn’t guarantee him a roster spot, he seems like a perfect fit for this roster.

Assuming the team keeps Herbig at edge as a rookie, Roche is suddenly the fifth man at a position where only four may be kept. While he needed to prove himself as a worthy roster candidate before, he now needs to really showcase a reason why the Steelers should keep him around this season. He may miss out on the roster again this year.