We are now at a point during the offseason in which we find ourselves looking at training camp just around the corner for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the rest of the league, and a lot has changed for them over the course of the past several months. They have lost a number of players in free agency, through releases, and retirements. But they have also brought in a number of new faces to replace them.
We all know that roster turnover is an ever-present reality for today’s rosters, and it seems that over the course of the past half-decade or so even the Steelers have proven to be as susceptible to the annual shakeup as anybody. With that in mind, we should take the time to get to know some of the new faces with training camp soon to be here.
He has not gotten a lot of attention, and, to be blunt, his path toward even a spot on the practice squad, is a steep one, but first-year outside linebacker Farrington Huguenin has at least done some things to show that he could have some potential.
A product of Kentucky, where he played with Bud Dupree, he originally signed with the Dolphins a year ago as an undrafted free agent, but he got injured early in their training camp and was waived injured. He did not sign with any other team that year, the Steelers adding him on a Reserve/Future contract after their season had ended.
No doubt the connection with Dupree influenced their decision to give him a look, but he has looked like he belongs all the same. While he is not particularly fast—he is probably faster today than when he timed at the Combine, playing at a lower weight—he has some positive metrics in other arenas.
If you have been following Alex Kozora’s training camp reports, you might have seen mention of Huguenin in a positive light with relative frequency. He has been impressed with the 25-year-old’s quickness, which should be another sign that he is playing at a lower weight.
The Steelers were quite short-staffed at the outside linebacker position during their preseason opener last week against the Giants, so the first-year player had to see a good amount of snaps rotating in with just T.J. Watt, the rookie, and Arthur Moats, the veteran.
He recorded two tackles and a sack, but going forward the opportunities to make an impact will thin out. With both Dupree and Anthony Chickillo getting back on the field, it’s likely Huguenin will see very few to no snaps until perhaps the final preseason game.
Still, it’s not completely impossible that he can make it to the practice squad. If, for example, Keion Adams goes on injured reserve, or makes the 53-man roster, that is a reasonable, or even likely scenario.
