The Pittsburgh Steelers just set their initial 53-man roster, completing their last cuts prior to the league 4 p.m. deadline. However, one notable inclusion the 53-man roster that many didn’t predict was P Braden Mann, making the roster along with P Pressley Harvin III to give the Steelers two punters on their active roster.
As Steelers Depot’s very own Josh Carney recently pointed out in a piece highlighting both punters making the 53-man roster, there likely is a trade in the works between Pittsburgh and another team interested in the services of one of its punters.
Seeing as Pittsburgh will likely fetch some value via late-round draft capital for one of its two punters, it only made sense to hold onto both of them on the initial 53 instead of cutting one and letting another team swoop in and have him for free. However, should the Steelers trade one of the punters for a draft pick, that would free up a spot on the roster for one of Pittsburgh’s recent cuts to circle back. Here are some candidates to return after the punting situation is resolved.
1. TE Zach Gentry
Several names stand out as players who could come back to Pittsburgh after getting their walking papers. One of them is TE Zach Gentry, who was a borderline player for many regarding his standing on the roster. He lost his job as the No. 2 tight end to rookie Darnell Washington, who is essentially a bigger, stronger, and more athletic version of what Gentry brings to the team. Still, Gentry has proven valuable in Pittsburgh’s heavy personnel sets with multiple tight ends and could be a candidate to return.
2. ILBs Nick Kwiatkoski/Tanner Muse
Two other candidates that Pittsburgh could consider bringing back are ILBs Tanner Muse and Nick Kwiatkoski. The expectation was that Pittsburgh would keep five inside linebackers on its 53-man roster, having the last spot come down to Kwiatkoski or Muse. Muse was having a strong preseason before being a surprise early cut yesterday while Kwiatkoski was released from the team this afternoon. Should Pittsburgh want five inside linebackers in the room and another capable special teams contributor, we could easily see Muse or Kwiatkoski come back after a potential trade.
3. TE Rodney Williams
Another name that could revert back to Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster is TE Rodney Williams. Williams isn’t as well-known as the other three candidates listed above, but he has a strong argument for the 53. Dave Bryan of Steelers Depot made the argument for Williams in his final roster prediction, calling him one of the better special team players during the preseason. That could entice special teams coordinator Danny Smith to plead to bring him back should he clear waivers.
4. Free Agent Signing/Waiver Claim
While the aforementioned names could be on the short list of players that may return to Pittsburgh, the Steelers could explore outside options as well as the rest of the league has parted with notable players at potential positions of need. The Steelers could go through the waiver system or outright sign a potential backup center, cornerback, inside linebacker, safety, or another position to bolster their roster, possibly adding a player that could contribute more than any of the names listed above.
There is a slew of possibilities that Pittsburgh has regarding its final roster spot if and when one of its punters gets traded. There are several leaders in the clubhouse that could boomerang back to the 53, but given the number of outside options as well, Pittsburgh has plenty of options to explore.
