The Pittsburgh Steelers already announced a handful of contract terminations yesterday in their efforts to trim their 90-man roster down to 53. With eight individuals removed, there are still 29 more to go—at least, provided that they do not make outside additions.
Most of those decisions will come with relative ease. We can reasonably assume that players like DL Jonathan Marshall, OLB Toby Nduke, and CB Lavert Hill are not going to end up on the 53-man roster, for example, just to name a random sampling. There are still some tough decisions ahead, however; below are what I believe to be the five toughest decisions, in no particular order.
Keeping Six or Seven Defensive Linemen
No area of the roster is deeper this year than the defensive line for the Steelers. The team has already acknowledged that they will have to part with NFL-level talent because they cannot reasonably hold more. The group contains four locks: Cameron Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, Keeanu Benton, and DeMarvin Leal. There are either two or three roster spots remaining for any combination of Montravius Adams, Freiden Fehoko, Armon Watts, and Isaiahh Loudermilk, all of whom are proven veterans of two or more seasons with hundreds of snaps or more.
Paying Kevin Dotson $2.7 Million To Be A Third-String, One-Position Reserve
All indications are that the Steelers intend for Nate Herbig to be their primary reserve interior lineman, at least for the guard position, and perhaps for center as well. They are paying him $4 million per season, anyway. Dotson is an NFL-level talent, but he is due $2,7430,000 in 2023 because of the Proven Performance Escalator program that rewards players on rookie contracts based on playing time relative to compensation.
Some things to consider: the Steelers were willing to pay Chris Wormley and Miles Boykin under similar conditions in recent years. They paid B.J. Finney over $3 million on a second-round tender in 2018. But they were not willing to offer J.C. Hassenauer even an original-round tender of just over $2.6 million earlier this offseason. In fact, they did not tender any of their restricted free agents.
Trusting Nate Herbig To Be One Snap Away From Snapping
Nate Herbig is not a natural center. He has played 49 snaps there in the regular season in his career, though he’s also manned the position in training camps and preseason games while with the Philadelphia Eagles, and now here.
But Kendrick Green hardly even seems rosterable at this point and is no more of a center. Spencer Anderson would be a dicey bet to trust to be Mason Cole’s direct backup as well. I don’t see Ryan McCollum in that role. So the question is, do you trust Herbig to be able to handle it on a full-time basis, or do you add a center after final cuts?
Evaluating The Importance Of A Fourth Tackle On The Roster
The Steelers have strong depth at the top at tackle, with rookie first-round pick Broderick Jones likely the swing tackle—although I assume if Chukwuma Okorafor were to get hurt, Dan Moore Jr. would move to the right side. But who is behind them?
Herbig can play some tackle, as can Isaac Seumalo, technically, but that’s not really their position. Anderson is an option, but do you trust him enough if there is an injury and he is one snap away from entering the game? The Steelers have Le’Raven Clark, but he has not had a good preseason. Do they keep Dylan Cook? If they do, at whose expense? Do they find a veteran? Are they confident enough in having a fourth tackle make it to the practice squad? They could keep eight linemen and use that extra spot elsewhere—like a seventh defensive lineman.
Putting Gunner Olszewski Back On Kick Returns Or Trusting Calvin Austin III
Although Austin is listed as the first-string kick returner, he was not given the opportunity to return any kicks during the preseason. It’s also something that he didn’t do in college, and we’ve seen how awkward that can be for players who are not versed in it (i.e. Markus Wheaton).
Olszewski is a former All-Pro return man, but the team lost confidence in him with some early ball-security issues. Yet they stuck with Ray-Ray McCloud, and even his replacement, Steven Sims, through similar issues. If Olszewski is not the kick returner, they could get by without even having him on the roster. But who would be your second option if he were gone, anyway? Anthony McFarland Jr.? And as it concerns Austin, you really have to ask yourself how many hits you want to subject him to. That’s one of the reasons they pulled Diontae Johnson off returns, and Austin is even smaller.
