The Steelers are now in Latrobe at Saint Vincent College for the 2023 installment of training camp. They are coming off of a 9-8 season during which they broke in their new quarterback, Kenny Pickett, finishing the year strong by winning seven of their last nine but coming up short of the postseason.
They’ve done a great deal to address what they identified as their shortcomings during the offseason, which included addressing the offensive and defensive lines as well as the secondary and the inside linebacker room, which is nearly entirely different from last year.
From the first day of training camp to the last, there are going to be plenty of questions that need answered, including several battles for starting roles. Which veterans might be vulnerable to release? Who are the sleepers who will emerge in camp and make a run at ta roster spot? We’ll try to frame the conversation in relevant ways as long as you stick with us throughout the season, as we have for many years.
Question: Which players on the roster bubble most hurt themselves in the preseason opener?
Naturally, the flip side to yesterday’s question. Twenty-four hours ago we talked about the bubble players who did well for themselves on Friday night. Today we’re talking about those who probably got a little further from the 53-man roster as a result.
The most obvious name that comes to mind has to be Kendrick Green, who not only didn’t get a crack at playing fullback in the game but who didn’t play very well at center. One three-play sequence in particular that included a holding penalty and a botched snap was…not good.
Beyond him, I think the clearest example would be undrafted rookie QB Tanner Morgan. If he had any hope of surpassing Mason Rudolph as the number three quarterback—and I’m not sure he ever did—those hopes were put to pasture with his rough, rough outing, including an interception. Plus, Rudolph played well.
Wide receivers Cody White and Hakeem Butler both had drops in the game, the one by the former leading to an interception off the deflection. It wasn’t a perfectly placed ball, but it was in and out of his hands.
Though his primary function would be on special teams, I also thought that ILB Tanner Muse hurt his cause. The depth at the position has only gotten deeper, with Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, Kwon Alexander, and Mark Robinson already ahead of him. He’s basically battling Nick Kwiatkoski for a job, the latter of whom I thought had a solid game.
Young OLBs David Perales and Quincy Roche were pretty quiet, especially so given their extensive playing times. If they continue this level of play, there’s virtually no chance the Steelers would waste a roster spot on a fifth edge rusher unless one of them blows the coaches away on special teams. In fairness, both of them seemed to hold up reasonably well in that phase, but they have other positions from which to harvest special teamers.
