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: DL Montravius Adams
Stock Value: Down
Reasoning: With the signing of Larry Ogunjobi, it becomes less certain just what Adams’ role will be, how much he will play, and, some have speculated, how secure his roster spot actually is.
The fact that the Steelers signed Larry Ogunjobi after the end of minicamp leaves a lot to speculation, because nobody within the organization has had to comment on the move in all this time since it went down. In other words, we don’t know the full extent of their intentions with the signing.
Obviously, they brought in Ogunjobi in response to Stephon Tuitt retiring. But what exactly will his role be? Paying him $8 million, we can assume that he’s going to be a starter. But will he see time as a nose tackle? Will he back up Tyson Alualu? He might if the team only carries six defensive linemen, which is what they very nearly always do.
Speaking personally, I like Adams and his potential, and I would certainly keep him on the roster and leave him as the number two nose tackle behind Alualu. But others around here have speculated that his roster spot could be at risk, so I’m going to honor that as a possibility whether I agree with it or not.
A former third-round draft pick, Adams spent the first four years of his career backing up Kenny Clark, so from that perspective, it is somewhat understandable that he never made more noise in Green Bay. He suffered a foot injury from which he spent much of the 2021 offseason recovering, signing with the Patriots, who did not retain him (after having also signed multiple other defensive tackles in free agency).
The New Orleans Saints picked him up while they waited for their own defensive tackle to get back from suspension, and they let him go when they got their guy back. That is how he wound up being available for the Steelers to pluck off of New Orleans’ practice squad when they did.
In other words, I don’t think this is a story of some talentless player. We saw what he could do on the field last year in a Steelers uniform, which is the factor that matters most of all. Nevertheless, there are some uncertainties moving forward about what his role might be—and some would argue, whether or not there’s a roster spot for him.
