As we’ve done in previous years, we’re taking a look at those Pittsburgh Steelers under futures contracts for the 2022 offseason. The ones who spent most if not the entire year on the practice squad and what we can expect from them during training camp (hopefully) into the regular season.
Chaz Green/OT Florida – 6’5″ 318 lbs.
Green is one of those classic training camp adds. The lineman big on experience, short on overall talent, and offers – on paper – a bit of versatility. Just the way the Steelers like ’em. Years ago, there was Guy Whimper. Present day, that man is Chaz Green.
A third-round pick in 2015, Green spent his first three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys appearing in 18 games and starting six. Since then, he’s been the definition of a journeyman spending time with the Saints, Raiders, Broncos, Colts, before finally being signed by the Steelers.
Over that span, he’s appeared in just 21 games and started only two, one each with the Colts and Raiders. His stints with teams have generally been short. Less than a month with the Saints, about six months with the Raiders (much of that with the offseason meter running), two months with the Broncos before finally spending a full season with the Colts in 2020.
Pittsburgh came calling on July 20th but his signing was overshadowed by the announcement of Melvin Ingram inking a one-year deal with the team. Green was the surprise add-on to the transaction. But to his credit, he outlasted Ingram in Pittsburgh. Green spent the summer with the team working almost exclusively at right tackle and with the third-stringers once everyone got healthy towards the end of camp. Our evaluation of him was bleak, giving him a C- grade.
“Green has been…ok, largely working as a third-string right tackle. He missed two days of practice for unknown reasons. Green has size, some power and anchor, but struggles to seal the edge and though he showed versatility prior to Pittsburgh, he was strictly a right tackle this summer. He could be kept on the practice squad but his ceiling is low and let’s hope he never plays on Sunday.”
Green was in fact kept on the practice squad as a sort of veteran insurance. He was often protected on the practice squad to prevent other teams from poaching him. Three times, Green was elevated to the 53-man roster, and twice he dressed. But he didn’t log a single snap offensively and tallied just four on special teams. The Steelers signed him to a Futures deal January 21st.
His first mission will be to survive the spring. The Raiders, for example, cut him in May after re-signing him that March. Pittsburgh will be losing but also adding offensive linemen to the room over the next three months and Green needs to survive any roster shuffling. If he makes it to camp, his veteran presence and hint of versatility need to be his calling cards. Playing beyond just right tackle like he did in 2021 would be a benefit. Perhaps being more comfortable with the team as opposed to a last-minute signing will give him the chance to increase versatility (if he wasn’t already displaying that during regular season practices).
Still, his odds of making the 53 next year are slim and his chances of contributing to the team are pretty slim. I’ll repeat what I said in the summer. I’m hoping the guy is just insurance and doesn’t need to play. Like insurance, it’s ok to have but better to never need.
