The Pittsburgh Steelers are close to finishing off the slew of roster moves they made last week after elevating Al-Hajj Shabazz and Matt Feiler to the 53 last week. The team announced today they have signed safety Jacob Hagen and offensive tackle Austin Shepherd to the practice squad. They’ve also released running back David Cobb.
Hagen continues to be yo-yo’d, signed on and off again throughout the last month. Given Shabazz’s elevation, and still the injuries Pittsburgh is dealing with, it’s no surprise to see him back. For now.
Shepherd is a new name, a 6’4 315 tackle out of Alabama. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 7th round of the 2015 draft. He saw sporadic time with them as a rookie, often entering the game as a tackle eligible. Shepherd officially played 28 offensive snaps last season, per Football Outsiders.
The Vikings released him in August before being picked up by the San Diego Chargers a few days later. The Chargers dumped him on September 20th.
At Alabama, he made 27 career starts.
Cobb was signed on September 7th, an intriguing player as a mid round pick out of Minnesota. The Tennessee Titans new regime got rid of him with the additions of Derrick Henry and DeMarco Murray. Daryl Richardson is now the only running back on the team’s practice squad.
Because Cobb did not have to be moved to make room for Hagen and Shepherd, the Steelers still have one practice squad spot available. They’re likely to fill that after today given that Tuesday is the normal day for tryouts. They could also be reserving that spot for when Shabazz or Feiler are sent back down when the team gets healthier.
