As every team does once their season ends, the Pittsburgh Steelers quickly signed eight players to reserve/futures contracts. All eight were on the team’s practice squad.
The list includes: safety Jordan Dangerfield, OT Matt Feiler, OG/C B.J. Finney, CB Isaiah Frey, TE Xavier Grimble, RB Rajion Neal, RB Abou Toure, and WR Shakim Phillips.
Dangerfield has spent the last two training camp with the Steelers, coming in mid-way in 2015 after injuries at the position hit the Steelers hard. Feiler was signed during the regular season, a Pennsylvania product out of Division II Bloomsburg. Finney may be the most prized player on this list, being paid like a player on the roster, ostensibly because another team tried to sign him. He was also given one of the biggest signing bonuses after the 2015 Draft. There’s a chance he could compete for a roster spot in 2016.
Frey was signed in the latter half of the season while Grimble was brought in early in the year, part of the flurry of roster moves the team made before the regular season began. Neal and Toure are two relatively new additions, Toure signed less than two weeks ago. Phillips is another notable name, spending the entire year with the Steelers. He has already developed a close relationship with Antonio Brown.
The two practice squad players who have not reportedly been signed to a futures deal are DE Caushaud Lyons and WR Tyler Murphy. Murphy spent the first two weeks on the roster, even getting a hat over Sammie Coates, before getting shuttled down to the practice squad once Martavis Bryant returned. He was brielfy brought back up to serve as a backup quarterback against the Kansas City Chiefs. Lyons was claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but waived from the roster to make room for Anthony Chickillo in late September.
It’s unclear if either will be signed to futures contract though it certainly can’t be ruled out. Expect a couple other new faces brought in on the same deals as the Steelers work to fill up their offseason roster.
