The Steelers are already out of training camp and back at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, informally known as the South Side facility. It’s where they otherwise train all year round, and the shift from Saint Vincent College for training camp back to Pittsburgh signals the approaching arrival of the regular season.
The team had a good few weeks of work up in Latrobe, but there are still unsettled questions that need answering. There are a few position battles yet to be determined, whether one considers the quarterback job up for grabs, or even remotely in the mix.
We’ve got yet another new offensive line with some incoming veterans in James Daniels and Mason Cole. Myles Jack is in at inside linebacker, replacing Joe Schobert, and we’ll have to see if Devin Bush can return to form after last year’s dismal display.
There’s still so much going on, and even coming out of training camp, we’ll only uncover more questions as we go along. We’ll be discussing them here on a daily basis for the community to “talk amongst yourselves”, as Linda Richman might say on Coffee Talk.
Question: Which bubble players have the most to gain in the Steelers’ preseason finale?
The Steelers play their final preseason game tonight against the Detroit Lions. We know what the final game of the exhibition schedule typically means, but if we’re honest, we’re still adjusting to the three-game format and figuring out how it works out now.
Tonight’s game is expected to be used as the ‘tune-up’ game before the regular season, which means that starters will play a lot more, so we don’t even know how much time the fringe roster players who are the aim of this question will actually get to play.
One of the positions most undecided right now is probably running back behind Najee Harris, and arguably Benny Snell Jr. There is at least the third spot yet to be determined between Anthony McFarland Jr. and Jaylen Warren, with Snell perhaps in the mix himself.
Another spot for which there is still some leeway is at the end of the wide receiver depth chart. Who will be the sixth receiver, and will one deserve it? There’s Miles Boykin and Steven Sims, Cody White and Tyler Vaughns. Who gets it?
We also have to figure out whether or not to keep a ninth lineman, and if so, who that will be. Trent Scott? John Leglue? On the opposite side, will they keep seven defensive linemen? Can Marcus Allen or Buddy Johnson—or Mark Robinson—secure a role at inside linebacker? On the outside, can Hamilcar Rashed Jr. seal the deal, or will Delontae Scott fall into the fourth outside linebacker spot?
The list can go on, with decisions still yet to be made in the secondary, and as it pertains to special teams—can a guy like Kevin Rader make the cut? Who makes your list of the players who realistically have the most to gain tonight?
