The Pittsburgh Steelers will report to Latrobe for training camp on Friday, so I thought we would continue to spend these last several days talking about a few players that many believe will have a decent shot at making the final 53 man roster. Basically, these are players that we can’t quite consider locks, but do consider as being on the bubble.
After reading the recap of the player that we highlight, you can cast your vote as to whether or not you think that player will make the final 53 man roster. Each poll will run for three days.
The tenth player up in this series is second-year defensive end Nick Williams.
2013 Season Recap:
Williams, who was drafted by the Steelers last year in the seventh-round, didn’t make it to the start of the 2013 regular season as a knee injury suffered late in training camp resulted in him being placed on injured reserve for the entire season. The injury ended up being worse than many of us first speculated and Williams didn’t even have surgery until October. As a result, the Samford product was still rehabbing during most of the offseason practices and thus missed valuable reps.
2014 Outlook:
Williams presumably has been cleared to take part in training camp, but right now one would think that he’s behind second-year defensive end Brian Arnfelt on the depth chart. Not only must Williams stay healthy during training camp this year to avoid missing even more practice time, he must also show that he understands the defensive scheme and can play fast despite missing so much time last season and most of this offseason. Four spots on the Steelers defensive line are already spoken for, so Williams’ battle against Arnfelt looms large depending on how the final numbers work out with the group. When he was drafted, defensive line coach John Mitchell deemed Williams as being a project. With him losing his entire rookie season to a knee injury, it could result in him needing to continue to develop on the practice squad in 2014 unless he has a great camp.
Vote below and tell us the reason why you voted the way that you did in the comments below.
You can view the results here.
Will LB Terence Garvin Make The Final 53?
Will LB Sean Spence Make The Final 53?
Will LB Jordan Zumwalt Make The Final 53?
Will WR Derek Moye Make The Final 53?
Will WR Darrius Heyward-Bey Make The Final 53?
Will WR Justin Brown Make The Final 53?
Will OL Guy Whimper Make The Final 53?
Will TE David Paulson Make The Final 53?
Will CB Brice McCain Make The Final 53?
Will S Will Allen Make The Final 53?
Will DE Brian Arnfelt Make The Final 53?
