When you look at the product on the field, the XFL had some more talent than the USFL currently possesses. This league is about to wrap up its second full season since its return just a year prior. They will wrap up their second time around with their USFL championship game, which is scheduled for July 1 at 8 P.M. EST on NBC.
The "local" team, the Pittsburgh Maulers showed signs of improvement since last year, but they are still currently at a record of 3-6. Things look bleak for them as the season is about to wrap up, but they could statistically make it into the playoffs with a weaker division. There are going to be some players that will get NFL interest and the Steelers will likely sniff around this free agency market.
The Steelers could add a familiar kicker to their roster before camp
B.T. Potter is an undrafted free agent on the Steelers roster, but he is not going to compete with Chris Boswell. If for some reason or another Boswell picks up right where he left off from his down year in 2022, another option needs to be brought in. Nick Sciba would make a lot of sense if the above situation does play out.
First off, the franchise knows him as he was on the team under a year ago and kicked while Boswell was out with an injury. Sciba has done well during his limited kicks in the USFL with the New Jersey Generals. He has made ten of his 11 kicks with his longest being from 56 yards out. Sciba is one of the more consistent kickers in the league, even though his opportunities have been slim.
An unknown NFL journeyman has become a dominant linebacker in the USFL
One player that has stood out among his peers during this season is Frank Ginda of the Michigan Panthers. He has been one of the most dominant linebackers in the entire league, and many believe that he should be crowned Defensive Player of the Year. He has been a journeyman football player for a while now and would likely enjoy another shot to make an NFL club.
Ginda is still only 26 years old and is a former undrafted free agent coming out of the 2018 NFL draft. He has seen different employment statuses with three different NFL teams, a stay in the Alliance of American Football, and now with the USFL. He has worked relentlessly to get back into the NFL ranks since being out of the top league since 2019.
The Steelers have some holes that they need to be filled at their linebacker position, but they would like to add an upgrade at starting linebacker. Ginda might not be that choice, but he is playing at an NFL level right now with the Panthers. He is going to get another shot with an NFL club shortly and that could lead to a nice addition to many organizations.
Reports have come out that Pittsburgh has added a couple of other linebackers to their team on a tryout basis. Ginda has been able to show a level of play that would likely be an upgrade over both of those players. One should not expect Ginda to be a top-level starter for the black and gold, but he could infuse a nice jolt of energy into that room.
The Steelers could round out the running back room with a high performer from the USFL
Besides looking at a quarterback to win MVP in the USFL this season, look no further than Wes Hills potentially winning the award. He has been running with a purpose this season and it has allowed him to put up some great numbers. He will likely be one of the favorites to win that award but the like of McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Case Cookus could be sneaking up on this back.
One might not imagine the Steelers desperately needing to add an upgrade at the bottom of their running back depth. They do have Anthony McFarland Jr. there and a couple of lesser-known names to challenge for the third and final spot on the roster. Training camp will be their guide, but adding someone like Hills would be an upgrade.
He has taken the rushing title almost by storm as he should be able to cement his status in the coming weeks. He has totaled nearly 660 rushing yards in seven starts and tallied ten rushing touchdowns to boot. He is a talented back that has been finding different ways to continue adding to his production this year.
One of the biggest concerns with Hills has been his fumbling problems this year. He has three on the season with a couple of weeks to go. The Slippery Rock product would be an interesting choice for the black and gold to sign. Keep an eye on his name especially if the Steelers are not too thrilled with the type of backs, they have in training camp.
A former first round pick could bring his pedigree back to the NFL
From Pittsburgh to Pittsburgh? Why not? That is exactly what would happen if the Steelers decided to sign current Maulers player, Rueben Foster once this USFL season concludes. There have been two issues that have cause for this linebacker’s career in the NFL to derail. He has suffered plenty of injuries and could not stop his off-the-field issues.
Those problems have kept him out of the NFL, but he joined the USFL to try and regain some notoriety. Foster was having a great start to his season before he suffered an injury just a handful of weeks into the campaign. That has kept him sidelined, but his skill is hard to look past when you watch a game.
He has a lot of talent, and you can see it when you look at him performing with some lesser talent in this league. He has starting experience in the NFL and a first-round pedigree in the NFL. The Steelers could look at him as a potential answer for a starting job on defense even though he has been out of the profession for a handful of years before joining the Maulers.
His biggest red flag is his past issues off the field and if he has overcome those issues. Foster has also struggled to stay healthy throughout his professional career, which could cause some concern in terms of his abilities. He could be an interesting flyer that could become a boom-or-bust candidate for Pittsburgh or whoever signs him.
The top pass rusher of the USFL could join the Steelers to add depth
With the addition of Markus Golden, outside linebacker seems to be fairly set for the black and gold. Nick Herbig is also there to seemingly round out the positional group as the Steelers normally keep four outside linebackers on the final 53-man roster. With someone like Quincy Roche also in the wings trying to make this team, there are not many open spots.
One name from the USFL that could interest the black and gold and potentially change their minds at their current roster construction is Breeland Speaks. He is a bigger body on the edge than this team normally looks for, but they have someone similar with DeMarvin Leal. Speaks could always back him up in that same type of role that Leal plays on defense.
Speaks has been a menace on the defensive side of the ball as he leads the league by a mile in sacks this season. He has tallied nine sacks through the nine games this season. He can still pad his stats over the next couple of weeks, which would only strengthen his chances to get back into the NFL. This pass rusher has a lot of things going in his favor.
It's been a while since Speaks was held in high regard in the NFL as he was a former second-round pick by the Chiefs back in 2018. Speaks has been out of the NFL since 2021 and will surely make it back to the league this year. He has performed extremely well and should get another shot here as the USFL has seen some quality performers over the year.