Now that the 2021 season is over, bringing yet another year of disappointment, a fifth consecutive season with no postseason victories, it’s time to take stock of where the Pittsburgh Steelers stand. Specifically, where Steelers players stand individually based on what we have seen and are seeing over the course of the season and into the offseason as it plays out. We will also be reviewing players based on their previous season and their prospects for the future. A stock evaluation can take a couple of different approaches and I’ll try to make clear my reasoning. In some cases, it will be based on more long-term trends. In other instances, it will be a direct response to something that just happened. Because of this, we can and will see a player more than once over the course of the season as we move forward.
Player: ILB Tegray Scales
Stock Value: Sold
Reasoning: Tegray Scales was among the three players that the Steelers released from their 90-man roster after signing 10 college free agents after the draft, which brought them to 93 players and necessitated roster moves be made.
I’m not sure how many people will actually care about this, but Tegray Scales was arguably the most notable player who was included in the recent releases the Steelers have made while making adjustments to the back end of their roster.
Scales has found himself on the team’s offseason or practice squad rosters in recent years, and even occasionally, for brief spells during periods of significant injury, on the 53-man roster. He finished the 2021 season there, in fact, with then-rookie fourth-round pick Buddy Johnson on the Reserve/Injured List.
Now the Steelers drafted another linebacker, Mark Robinson in the seventh round, which likely played a role in their viewing Scales as more expendable. They now have Myles Jack, Devin Bush, Robert Spillane, Johnson, Marcus Allen, Ulysees Gilbert III, and Robinson—clearly more linebacker than they’re going to carry. That’s seven, in case you didn’t feel like counting this morning, for which I wouldn’t blame you.
Also waived along with Scales was their extra long snapper, Rex Sunahara, who spent like a minute on the practice squad in-season before being released and then re-signed later in the offseason, as well as cornerback Isaiah Johnson, who was waived with an injury designation. Because he cleared waivers, he is now on the Reserve/Injured List, and likely will work out an injury settlement and be released outright.
As for Scales, well, it is worth noting that the Steelers are not the only organization he’s ever worked for. He was actually originally signed out of college by the Los Angeles Rams. He was on the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad when Pittsburgh signed him to their 53-man roster late last season.
If he is healthy, he could still hop on board for the second half of the USFL’s season. He did play in the XFL in 2020 for the Dallas Renegades.
