On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers promoted cornerback Doran Grant to their 53-man roster from their practice squad and I noted in that post that it may have been because another team wanted to poach him away. As it turns out, that was indeed the case.
Grant, who was drafted by the Steelers in the fourth-round this year out of Ohio State, reportedly told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Thursday that “a couple of teams” were interested in signing him off of Pittsburgh’s practice squad.
This news isn’t overly surprising now that we are in Week 9 of the season as this is about the time when teams who are seemingly out of the playoff picture start looking hard at other team’s practice squad players.
Last season, undrafted defensive end Josh Mauro was signed off of the Steelers practice squad in the middle of November. A few weeks later, defensive end Nick Williams, who was drafted by the Steelers in the seventh-round of the 2013 NFL Draft, was signed off of the team’s practice squad by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Being as the Steelers entered Wednesday with only four cornerbacks on their 53-man roster, the decision to promote Grant helps provide the team with some depth at the position.
We’ll have to see if Grant gets a helmet Sunday against the Oakland Raiders, but odds are probably good that won’t and especially if safety Will Allen is able to return this week from the ankle injury that has had him sidelined since Week 5.
