While unsuccessful, the Pittsburgh Steelers recently attempted to add another defensive lineman to their roster and one formerly selected in the second-round at that.
According to Field Yates of ESPN, the Steelers were one of four teams that put in a waiver claim on recently waived defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, who was originally selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second-round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma.
Prior to him being waived by the Dolphins, Phillips registered five tackles and one sack in the four games he played this season. His base salary this season will continue to be $1.03 million now that the Buffalo Bills were successful in claiming him off waivers.
The New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots and the Steelers were the other three teams that put in waiver claims for Phillips, but the Bills had the highest the priority of the four.
“No longer a Miami Dolphin. Good luck to my brothers on the team. I’ll miss ya’ll, but I couldn’t be happier to be out of there,” Phillips wrote on his Instagram account following him receiving news that Miami had waived him. “Free at last. Free at last….I’m in my bag. Don’t take it personal. Sometimes you got to put your future in your own hands and live with it.”
Had the Steelers ultimately been the team to claim Phillips off waivers, they obviously would have needed to release someone from their 53-man roster top make room for him. It’s not hard to speculate that the player that could have been cut to make room for Phillips would have been defensive end L.T. Walton as he’s been inactive for the three of the team’s first four games this season.
