The Pittsburgh Steelers won’t begin training camp for a few more days, so with that, we still have time to discuss a few more players that many believe will have a decent shot at making the 2016 final 53-man roster. Basically, these are players that we can’t quite consider locks, but do consider as being on the bubble ahead of the team reporting to Latrobe.
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 eighth player up in this series is interior lineman B.J. Finney.
2015 Season Recap:
Finney, who was signed by the Steelers last year as an undrafted free agent out of Kansas State, played mostly at right guard last year during the preseason. After suffering an ankle injury late in the preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers, Finney was released during the final round of cuts.
After the first few weeks of the 2015 regular season, the Steelers decided to sign Finney to their 10-man practice squad and that’s where he remained the rest of the season. It is worth noting, however, that Finney was given a significant raise midway through the year and it is easy to speculate that was done in order to prevent him from being poached by another team.
After the Steelers were eliminated from the playoffs last year, Finney was immediately signed to a futures contract.
2016 Training Camp Outlook:
As the team prepares to report to Latrobe for the start of training camp, it appears as though most of the offensive line spots on the team’s 53-man roster are already spoken for. With that said, one spot could potentially still be up for grabs. That spot could be a swing interior line position and logic tells you that Finney and Chris Hubbard both have the best shots at winning it.
While Hubbard has been with the organization for quite a while now, he’s yet to prove that he can be a reliable swing interior player and emergency center. With that said, he is the perceived incumbent heading into training camp so Finney will likely have to prove he’s a better option during the team’s four preseason games.
Finney spent most of his time in college playing center so we need to watch closely if he’s allowed to play there quite a bit during the preseason in addition to possibly playing both guard spots. The organization obviously likes him as evidenced by their decision to give him full pay last year as a member of the practice squad.
Should Finney ultimately fail to make the team’s final 53-man roster this year out of training camp, he quite possibly could wind up starting the year on the team’s practice squad. Even if Finney does wind up making the final cut, he will be a candidate to not dress for several games unless injuries on the offensive line take place.
Vote below and tell us the reason why you voted the way that you did in the comments.
Previous polls:
Will OL Chris Hubbard Make The Final 53?
Will LB Jordan Zumwalt Make The Final 53?
Will S Ross Ventrone Make The Final 53?
Will CB Doran Grant Make The Final 53?
Will LB Anthony Chickillo Make The Final 53?
Will DE L.T. Walton Make The Final 53?
Will TE Matt Spaeth Make The Final 53?
