Following up Joe Clark’s piece highlighting three players that the Steelers could surprisingly keep on their 53-man roster post cuts, I have taken the liberty to name three players that could surprisingly get their walking papers and be looking for work elsewhere. These aren’t going to be names like IOL Nate Herbig or ILB Kwon Alexander who we know are going to make the roster. Rather, three players who are right on the fringe that many would expect to make the team but have their own cases working against them.
CB James Pierre
While being with the team since 2020, CB James Pierre has been on the downward trend this preseason. He signed back with the team on a one-year deal after having his RFA tender declined this offseason and hasn’t been exactly inspiring with his play on defense this preseason. He played poor in Pittsburgh’s preseason opener against Tampa Bay, surrendering six catches on six targets for 92 yards and a touchdown, resulting in a poor 39.6 PFF coverage grade. He had three tackles in Pittsburgh’s second preseason game against the Bills, but the play on the field hasn’t matched what we saw from him when he first arrived in Pittsburgh.
DC Teryl Austin mentioned earlier in training camp that the team needs to figure out where Pierre fits, stating he thinks Pierre can still provide value to the team, but not knowing if that’s as a depth corner or a special teams guy. Failing to make a notable impact in Pittsburgh’s preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons, this could be it for Pierre with the Steelers. Pittsburgh could keep its top three outside corners as well as Elijah Riley and Chandon Sullivan as two slot defenders to mix and match depending on the situation.
TE Zach Gentry
I know what some of you guys are thinking, “But Jonathan, why would Pittsburgh cut Zach Gentry when they can use him and TE Darnell Washington in heavy base sets with two big tight ends?” That’s a legit question, but there are several key factors working against Gentry here. First, he is clearly the fourth tight end on the depth chart, behind the likes of TEs Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, and Connor Heyward.
Second, the only instance that Gentry would see the field is in 12 or 13 personnel where Pittsburgh plays two or three tight ends, using his size and blocking ability in run-heavy formations. He’s extremely limited as a receiver (one reception for seven yards in three preseason games), meaning that Pittsburgh would have to carry four active tight ends on game day, or choose when Gentry suits up, making him a possible weekly game day inactive. Third, Gentry isn’t contributing much on special teams (72 snaps in 2022), making it hard to consistently give him a helmet on game days as well as a roster spot over an extra defensive lineman or defensive back.
It’s not that Gentry is a terrible player, but he’s a little redundant after Pittsburgh drafted Washington in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, upgrading over Gentry in every way. Should Pittsburgh be somewhat comfortable with Freiermuth’s progression as a blocker, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Gentry be a surprise cut over the next few days.
DL Isaiahh Loudermilk
Austin mentioned earlier this week that tough decisions will have to be made along the defensive line, likely resulting in an NFL-caliber player getting cut. With several of those spots locked down by established veterans and young guys, there are a couple of candidates likely fighting for the last couple of spots. With Pittsburgh likely carrying no more than seven defensive linemen on the 53-man roster and Cameron Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, Keeanu Benton, and DeMarvin Leal all being locks for the roster, the last three spots come down to NTs Montravius Adams and Breiden Fehoko along with DEs Isaiahh Loudermilk and Armon Watts.
Adams should be safe as he ran as Pittsburgh’s starting NT for most of training camp. This leaves Watts, Fehoko, and Loudermilk up for the last two spots. While Pittsburgh already has two nose tackles in Benton and Adams, Fehoko fits the mold of a throwback run stuffer, having the size, strength, and build to clog up running lanes, which could prove useful playing in the AFC North. Between Watts and Loudermilk, Watts has shown to be the better pass rusher during his time in the league and possesses more positional versatility, having played at nose in the past as well as a base defensive end.
Loudermilk has shown notable improvement during training camp, but he and Watts are both in the final year of their deals with Pittsburgh. With both being the same age, it makes sense for Pittsburgh to ride with Watts rather than hitch its wagon to Loudermilk; they know who he is at this point. We may see some development from him yet, but he never is going to possess that high ceiling and will always be that capable depth piece/spot starter due to injury. Instead of carrying Loudermilk for another year, the Steelers can opt to see what they have with Watts in 2023, and then decide if they want to do business with him again after the season or look elsewhere for depth in 2024.
