The Pittsburgh Steelers have announced their initial 2023 practice squad. Though the maximum the team can have is 16 players, the team has so far only announced nine players. More players will be signed in the coming days.
Eight of the nine players signed were with the team during the summer. The new official name who was not is CB Anthony Brown, a former sixth-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys. Appearing in 94 career games for the Cowboys, he’s recorded 324 tackles and intercepted nine passes. He tore his Achilles in Week 13 last year.
The eight other Steelers signed to the practice squad are CB Luq Barcoo, DL Breiden Fehoko and Jonathan Marshall, OLB David Perales, RB Greg Bell, S Trenton Thompson, TE Rodney Williams, and WR Dez Fitzpatrick.
RB Greg Bell was signed midway through training camp. With size and burst, he did enough to stick with the team. For Bell and the other signed players with the team in camp, we’ll add all or some of our camp evaluations on them.
“Signed midway through camp, Bell actually looked decent. There’s some juice and explosiveness to his game that makes me want to see some more. It’s not reflected in his 2.9 YPC but he had a couple of vertical cuts and decent runs. Bell also showed solid hands and the ability to make grabs away from his body, highlighted most often in 1v1 drills. There’s a chance he can hang around on the practice squad.”
TE Rodney Williams had a strong summer, finding the end zone five times throughout training camp. He made his work inside stadiums with his special teams performances, grading our well and recording multiple tackles on the kick coverage team. A hybrid receiver/tight end who was more of the former at UT-Martin, he was an obvious practice squad stash after clearing waivers.
“A tight end hybrid who was really more of a receiver at UT-Martin, Williams is fluid and had a nose for the end zone towards the end of camp, catching five touchdowns from practices 11-15. One was a pretty diving grab, showing concentration after safety Trenton Thompson tipped the ball that Williams pulled it in for the score. I didn’t get a good read on his blocking but safe to say, he’s not Matt Spaeth.”
WR Dez Fitzpatrick had a steady and consistent training camp. Like Williams, he shined the brightest on special teams throughout the preseason, performing well as a gunner. He had a tackle against Buffalo that resulted in a 49-yard net punt for Pressley Harvin III while he downed another punt inside the 10-yard line in the finale against Atlanta.
“He lacks great size but is a solid athlete and fluid route runner with change-of-direction ability and can stem at the top of his route to create space. He practiced every day, caught a hearty 20 receptions without dropping anything, and though he mostly did his damage underneath, (a 9.9 YPC) he also scored three times. Fitzpatrick just brings a well-rounded game.
Inside stadiums, his play at wide receiver wasn’t incredibly notable but he had a great tackle as a gunner on the punt team against the Bills, defeating his block and pinning Buffalo deep into their own territory. With injuries to Cody White and Hakeem Butler, there’s a serious practice squad opportunity opening up on the practice squad. He’s earned the chance to stick.”
NT Breiden Fehoko was the odd man out along the defensive line for the 53-man roster, losing to NT Montravius Adams and DEs Isaiahh Loudermilk and Armon Watts. But the team valued his run-stuffing ability and he’ll be an elevation if and when injuries strike.
“If this was 1990, Breiden Fehoko would be a stud. He’s a classic one-gap plugger that just can’t be moved against the run…While Fehoko’s value is capped, it plays well with Pittsburgh’s ethos and in this division, especially once the weather gets bad. Getting a hat on gameday could be tough, though he’d be active if Montravius Adams is cut, but the team does like his old-school attitude.”
DE Jonathan Marshall fought to get reps in the Steelers’ deep defensive line rotation. But he played well in the finale against the Atlanta, primarily flashing against the run. Pittsburgh signed him off the New York Jets’ practice squad late last season following Chris Wormley’s season-ending torn ACL (the recap was written before the finale against the Falcons in Atlanta, where he played his best football).
“Plucked off the New York Jets’ practice squad last year, Marshall was quiet this summer. Stuck near the bottom of this deep group, the Steelers’ depth chart lists him as a nose tackle. But he played more defensive end than down the middle. Still, his tape was nondescript. A moment or two in run session, that was it. Marshall wasn’t awful, he stayed on his feet and wasn’t pushed around but his impact in the run game and especially as a pass rusher was empty. Practice squad at best for him and even then, that’s pushing it.”
OLB David Perales was an UDFA from Fresno State. He was available for every practice and showed good effort to the ball, though his preseason production was light.
“Perales, though, was quiet for most of the summer. He got a good chunk of reps and occasionally won in the run and pass game.
But inside stadiums, he was routinely locked up. He looks as slow off the ball as he tested with average hand use and he can’t get off blocks. Per our charting, Perales had 49 pass rush reps in the first two preseason games. He had zero pressures. Pittsburgh likes his effort and maybe he sticks on the practice squad for a bit but there’s not much here.”
CB Luq Barcoo had his moments in camp, putting together a string of three quality practices midway through the summer. A former wide receiver with plus ball skills, he has a leaner frame and must improve his tackling, but the team saw enough to keep him around.
“An interesting name given his ball-hawking background — the converted wide receiver picked off nine passes his last year at San Diego State — Barcoo strung together a few solid practices. Over a span of three or four days, he had two interceptions and multiple end-zone breakups. But he has a lanky frame and isn’t a great tackler. There’s willingness but he misses too easily, shooting low and unable to finish on a wide receiver screen against Tampa Bay. He lost playing time from there and had been passed by Chris Wilcox by summer’s end.”
S Trenton Thompson was signed midway through camp after Pittsburgh got hit with injuries to Cory Trice Jr., Damontae Kazee, and Keanu Neal. Thompson impressed with his impact hitting and downhill aggression. He also made plays in coverage, picking off a pass in camp and in the opener against Tampa Bay. He was a strong bet to remain with the team on the practice squad.
“Thompson is a fun player to watch. He’s aggressive and flies around the field. A “whoa, not sic ’em” type of player, to borrow the Mike Tomlin phrase. Thompson brings hit power and had a couple big collisions throughout camp and during preseason action.
He can be overaggressive and reckless, which puts him out of position. Thompson had a tendency to miss tackles and take poor angles. But he’s a hair-on-fire player with playmaking skills too, picking off a pass in the preseason from Robber coverage and showed an overall knack for playing the football in the air. He’s someone who caught Mike Tomlin’s eye and should stick on the practice squad.”
Pittsburgh will round out the rest of its 16-man squad in the coming days. Two other names, OL Joey Fisher and Kellen Diesch, are reportedly joining the practice squad.
