The Pittsburgh Steelers are back in the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex earlier than they had anticipated, having been ousted from the postseason in the opening round, which unfortunately marks a slight improvement from the past two seasons, during which they did not even qualify for the playoffs altogether. They have now gone four seasons without securing a victory beyond regular season play.
Yet again, they find themselves undergoing the exit meeting process earlier than anticipated, which means so are we.
They did manage to go 12-4 during the regular season, and secured their first AFC North title since 2017. They posted a new franchise record by opening the season with 11 consecutive wins. But of course, it all fell apart after that. Their only victory after that required a 17-point comeback.
We might not know all the details about what goes on between head coach Mike Tomlin and his players during these exit meetings. But we do know how we would conduct those meetings if they were up to us. So here are the Depot’s exit meetings for the Steelers’ roster following the 2020 season.
Player: Trevor Williams
Position: CB
Experience: 4 Years
We are now at the end of our exit meeting series, with veteran cornerback Trevor Williams representing the final player of note whom the Steelers acquired over the course of the 2020 season. Signed in January toward the end of the regular season, he only spent time on the practice squad, but Pittsburgh retained him on a Reserve/Future contract.
In any other year, of course, he would never have been eligible to be on the practice squad because of his prior career in terms of accrued seasons and playing time. Starting in 2020 under the new CBA, every player is eligible for the practice squad. Only a certain number of veterans, though, can be on there at one time.
A former college free agent out of Penn State in 2016, Williams spent his first three seasons with the Chargers. During that time he started 27 of 37 games played, recording 110 tackles and three interceptions with 22 passes defensed.
But he hasn’t played much in the past two years, just four games in total. Williams played two with the Philadelphia Eagles last season and two for the Arizona Cardinals the year before that. He spent most of the 2019 season on the Reserve/Injured List. Williams was injured for much of the year prior, as well.
Despite his late addition, it is not unrealistic to think that Williams can potentially play a role for the Steelers this year. With the losses of Steven Nelson and Mike Hilton, he is now the third-most notable — perhaps even second — cornerback on the roster behind Joe Haden and Cameron Sutton. Readers should regard Williams as a sleeper to emerge as the team’s number three cornerback in 2021, who can play both outside and in the slot.
