With the Steelers ready to begin training camp, there are a plethora of players fighting for their jobs. While the majority of the roster spots are already set, there are still roughly 50 players fighting a dozen roster spots. There are obvious favorites, but the roster is still wide open.
I wanted to take the time to go position by position and name some players on the roster bubble. Some of these names are obvious, as the team will likely not keep them unless they have a really strong training camp. Others are on the outside looking in, but they will still have to fend off others seeking their job.
With all of that said, here is one Steelers player on the roster bubble at every position.
Steelers QB roster bubble: Mason Rudolph
On the surface, the Steelers have the three quarterbacks that they play to take into the regular season. Kenny Pickett is the confirmed starter, Mitchell Trubisky is the well-paid backup, and Mason Rudolph is experienced depth. While I have no qualms with this trio, one has to wonder just how secure Rudolph’s job is.
I, like many others, fully expected Rudolph to go elsewhere this offseason. The team had moved in a different direction, and a new home would mean a new opportunity for the veteran. Rudolph went unsigned though, and shortly after the draft he returned to the Steelers. Despite rumored interest from other teams on his end, he signed for the minimum with no money guaranteed to him.
While the team has an obvious comfort with Rudolph, they could also easily move on from him. If Tanner Morgan looks good in camp or if a different third option becomes available that the team wants, Rudolph is an easy-release candidate. He could even kick around on the practice squad potentially given the lack of interest from the league.
While I would say the odds are that the Steelers keep him, it certainly isn’t a lock. If someone else catches this team's eyes, Rudolph will be the easy choice to cut bait with at the quarterback position.
Steelers RB roster bubble: Anthony McFarland
Running back is one of the harder positions to build a bubble for. While Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are likely to be key fixtures on this offense, the remainder of the depth chart is completely up in the air.
On paper, the most secure name should be Anthony McFarland. A former third-round pick who is now in his fourth year with the team, that typically means some sort of role was found for the player. That hasn’t been the case for McFarland, as he has yet to develop into a quality change of pace back or a good special teams player.
In a room filled with similar lackluster veterans and undrafted rookies though, McFarland has to be seen as the early favorite to make the team. He has speed, something both Harris and Warren lack, which would make him a valuable third running back.
The issue isn’t so much his offensive play (which hasn’t been remarkable by any means). He offers you very little on special teams, as he has limited return man experience and doesn’t profile as a coverage player. If his offensive contributions are limited and he can’t do anything on special teams, it is hard to make the case to keep McFarland around on the roster.
While on paper he is the favorite to land the job, McFarland is still very much on the roster bubble. He needs to show that he can help the offense with some big plays and be more than just a middling return man. If not, he may not stick around for this season with the Steelers.
Steelers WR roster bubble: Miles Boykin
The Steelers receiver room is a weird one. There are three locks, a virtual lock in Calvin Austin, and beyond that one or two free spots left. Of all of the names left around, Miles Boykin is a logical name to stick around. He is a valuable special teams player and is arguably the best blocker on the team.
You could do much worse than having him on the roster as your fifth receiver. Add in his immense special teams value and I would argue that Boykin is on the inside of the roster right now. A few things could quickly mess up those odds though.
For starters, Austin, or someone else making the roster, needs to do enough to be the primary return man. That will leave Gunner Olszewski as the main returner and a lock to make the roster. That means one less position for Boykin to potentially occupy, and he would be missing from the roster altogether if they only keep five players.
The other issue is Hakeem Butler. While he has yet to prove himself as a pro player, he was a dynamic threat in the XFL last year. He is a similar height-weight-speed player (arguably a freakier player than Boykin) and could prove to be an offensive and special teams threat.
While Boykin was a great special teams player last season, he wasn’t a great offensive weapon. While being a pure special teams player is fine, he could be worked off this roster if Butler can prove to be an effective special teams and weapon on offense.
While Boykin is likely a safe name as of now, his seat certainly isn’t secure. The Steelers can go in a few different directions with their receiving room. Boykin has value and familiarity with the team, but if some other names prove their value, Boykin could be shuffled off the roster.
Steelers TE roster bubble: Zach Gentry
As a founding member of the Zach Gentry fan club, this is hurtful for me to include. While Zach Gentry is in a similar spot as a lot of the aforementioned names on this list (inside looking out), he isn’t locked into a role. His biggest saving grace is that the team wants to go heavy this year, but that might not even be enough to keep him on the roster.
The issue is, the Steelers invested a third-round pick in tight end Darnell Washington. The big mauler from Georgia is already the best blocking tight end on the team, and while he will need some work as a receiver, he should quickly move into that second tight end role. That leaves Gentry as a third traditional tight end.
Connor Heyward will also be seeing snaps as a tight end still, and while he isn’t the traditional body type for the position, he proved last year to be a valuable weapon and special teams player. Now, that all doesn’t mean Gentry can’t stick around though.
What will really be the focus for this team is if they keep a traditional fullback or not. If Heyward takes on that role, then Gentry should be safe, as the team can afford to carry four tight ends with one of them serving as the fullback. If, however, the team decides to carry a pure fullback, Gentry could be off the roster.
Again, Gentry is safer than not, but there is a real chance he could become a victim of the numbers game. If the team opts for a pure fullback, Gentry doesn’t have a good fit on this roster, as keeping four tight ends and a fullback isn’t practical. Gentry has to hope that this team decides to build this offense as most expect them to.
Steelers OL roster bubble: Kevin Dotson
The Steelers have spent the last two offseasons rebuilding their offensive line, and it should pay off this year as the team figures to need a great line for their offense to work. As a result of these moves though, Kevin Dotson is likely set to move on. He is nothing more than expensive depth at this point.
Dotson was, at one point in time, the guard of the future for this team. He popped as a rookie, but he has been lackluster and inconsistent since becoming a primary starter. This was the case a year ago, as he flashed good play at times but more often than not lacked the technique to be a great blocker.
He was firmly replaced in the offseason, and due to his previous playing time, his salary got a bump this year. The team likely won’t keep him because of that new cost, and Dotson has made it clear that he doesn’t seem interested in competing for a spot. It seems like both sides would benefit from a split.
Ideally, Dotson has some trade value for the team, as he could be a low-end starter for a team that needs a guard. If injuries pop up on other teams, his value could be even more. A trade for some additional draft picks would be the ideal scenario.
Even if a trade doesn’t materialize, I struggle to see Dotson sticking around. While cutting a former starter would be hard to do, he clearly doesn’t want to be around. This line will be fine without him, and I fully expect Dotson to be off this team by the time the season begins.
Steelers DL roster bubble: Isaiahh Loudermilk
A defensive line is a position that feels both deep and shallow at the same time. I am happy with the projected starters. Cameron Heyward is still his usual elite self while Larry Ogunjobi should be better in year two and Keeanu Benton has a lot of promise as both a nose tackle and potential end.
There are some intriguing names on the depth chart. Chief among them is second-year player DeMarvin Leal. He was used in a variety of roles as a rookie, and the expectation is for his versatility to still be relied on. The issue is, I struggle to see him as a pure defensive end, as he struggles against the run and doesn’t have ideal size.
With some questions at defensive end depth, an experienced backup in Isaiahh Loudermilk should be able to make the team with relative ease, right? I’m not certain. The Steelers traded up for Loudermilk in a surprise move a few years ago, and while there was promise as a rookie, he seemingly regressed last year.
He offers next to nothing as a pass rusher, and his run defense is only average at best. With so many new names on the team, I’m not sure Loudermilk will be afforded another chance. At the bare minimum, players from other rosters could easily be playing for his spot if he makes the roster out of camp.
There was hope that Loudermilk would make a jump last season, but it never happened. He was never going to be an every-down starter, but the hope was for him to develop into a sound backup. That hasn’t happened, and the Steelers may decide to cut bait with him because of his regression as a player.
Steelers EDGE roster bubble: Quincy Roche
The Steelers can keep anywhere between eight to ten linebackers, that being edge rushers and off-ball linebackers, in a given year, and overall, the room seems pretty set. Edge rusher in particular appears to be figured out. The team has their starters and a quality veteran backup in Markus Golden who figures to handle the majority of reserve work.
There is also rookie Nick Herbig who will seemingly start his career at edge rusher, the position he played in college. While I expect a move to off-ball eventually, he may work as an edge rusher for now. That leaves one possible spot up for grabs on this depth chart if the team keeps five edge rushers.
Quincy Roche is already on the roster bubble because of this, as he will need to do enough to justify the team keeping five-edge rushers in the first place. He was cut as a rookie due to his lack of special teams ability, and while he got work there with the Giants, he needs to do enough to prove that he is worth keeping during his second stint.
Even with that, undrafted rookie David Perales could end up making a run at the roster as well. He was productive in school and looks like he could be a good fit on special teams. If Perales jumps Roche, he will no longer even be in the bubble. Roche has an uphill battle, and it likely is dependent on his special teams ability.
Steelers LB roster bubble: Tanner Muse
If the Steelers decide to keep five off-ball linebackers, this room seems pretty cut and dry. That isn’t a guarantee though, and if four ends up being the number, there will be quite a battle for the final spots. Like edge rusher, this position will be heavily predicated on special teams, but there will also be the realistic option that defensive snaps will need to be played.
While I was high on Mark Robinson early in the offseason, the team is seemingly less excited about him. It seems likely that he is a reserve this year, and he may not even be the top backup given the other adds on this roster. Frankly, he could be on the bubble as well, but I think even more at risk is Tanner Muse.
Muse was brought in solely due to his special teams ability, and he figures to compete to be a contributor there. That said, I would argue that he offers the least on defense of the backups, and that could cost him. He is squarely my fifth off-ball linebacker as of this writing.
That won’t be an issue if five linebackers are kept. If it is only four, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Muse cut even though he was a free-agent addition this offseason. Free agents usually make the team, but Muse could prove to be an exception.
Herbig could also factor into this equation as well. The expectation is that he will work as an edge rusher, but if the move to off-ball happens sooner than later, Muse could again be the odd man out. Roster construction will be big here, but Muse will need to have an excellent camp to secure a roster spot.
Steelers CB roster bubble: Levi Wallace
This is arguably my most controversial name on this list, and it would certainly take a lot of things to happen, but I don’t think that Levi Wallace is a slam-dunk roster lock. He is certainly on the inside looking out, and if things go as expected, Wallace will be on this roster in week one, but there are realistic ways I could see him leave the team.
It starts with the rookie class, specifically Joey Porter. Most expect him to be an impact player in year one, but the question is how ready will he be. Can Porter be the other starting outside cornerback in week one? Even if he is, Wallace will assume the role of third cornerback with Patrick Peterson likely getting slot work.
What happens if James Pierre continues to progress? He had a quietly sound season last year and is a regular special teams contributor. Cory Trice has had an impressive start to his career as well, and he profiles a long and lanky outside cornerback that this team wants. If both end up moving up past Wallace, his spot could be lost.
The issue is, Wallace doesn’t play special teams, so if he gets buried on the depth chart, he suddenly becomes an expensive backup. I can’t imagine the team keeping him around at his price to be the weekly inactive in case of injury.
Again, of all the names on this list, I would say that Wallace is the most secure. That said, stranger things have happened, and if the team gets some contributions from their other cornerbacks and Wallace is jumped on the depth chart, he could find himself off the roster.
Steelers S roster bubble: Tre Norwood
Tre Norwood should, in theory, be a player ready to expand his role. He was used as a rookie in a similar way that Cameron Sutton was used coming out of college. He was a versatile defensive back that could work in the slot and play on dime defense. While he won’t be an outside cornerback like Sutton became, Norwood should have been in line to compete for slot work.
The issue was his season last year. His playing time regressed, and his defensive snaps were unimpressive. While his coverage was still fine, his tackling was a huge issue, as he constantly took poor angles and missed easy tackles. It is one thing to not be a super physical defensive back, but not being able to tackle is a bigger issue.
Norwood will benefit from the team seemingly ignoring the slot position this off-season. Chandon Sullivan was brought in, but he is a similar lackluster option. Peterson could also work in the slot, but that is more of a projection than anything else.
He seems like a player that will either have it or won’t by the time training camp wraps up. If he gets his tackling under control, he could feasibly be the starting slot defender for this team. If tackling is still an issue though, my guess is he won’t be on the final roster.
The Steelers are working their way to finalize their roster. While the overall roster bubble is a lot bigger than this, these are the most notable players I have on the bubble by position. They will all be playing for roles on the roster during Steelers training camp.