The Pittsburgh Steelers finalized their practice squad this morning with the official signings of FB Zander Horvath, LB Tariq Carpenter and RB Qadree Ollison, it’s looking like one of the deeper practice squads the team has had in years.
The Steelers retained nine of their own players, including NT Breiden Fehoko, who has three years of NFL experience. Other guys like DL Jonathan Marshall and TE Rodney Williams have some intriguing upside, especially Williams after an impressive training camp.
But it’s the guys outside the organization that Pittsburgh brought in that I’m most excited about. CB Anthony Brown is a veteran, as he’ll be 30 in December, but he has seven years of experience with the Dallas Cowboys and could be an option for the active roster at some point this season. Horvath had two receiving touchdowns for the Los Angeles Chargers last season, and his athletic profile makes him someone who could end up having a role for Pittsburgh sooner rather than later.
CB Josiah Scott is a slot corner option, standing at 5-9 and 185 pounds, and the former fourth-round pick had two interceptions for the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles last season. Given that he was a Day Two pick with some NFL success, he’s a really solid add to the cornerback room and someone who could look to push for a spot on the roster down the line. Carpenter played regularly on special teams for the Packers last year, and the linebacker/safety hybrid could end up being a nice coverage linebacker and special teams option for the Steelers.
All offseason, general manager Omar Khan made an effort to add depth and competition across position groups for the Steelers. That’s continued with his approach to building the practice squad, adding players with upside who have played in the league and also high-upside rookies like OL Joey Fisher, a player the Steelers liked coming out of Shepard who ended up in San Francisco as an undrafted free agent.
The practice squad has a really nice mix of veterans like Brown, Scott and Fehoko who have shown what they can do at the NFL level and guys who have played in the league and flashed but haven’t had major opportunities like Horvath and Carpenter. When you add in pieces like Williams and Fisher who haven’t played in the regular season have intriguing physical traits (Fisher ran a 4.97 40-yard dash and 1.72 10-yard split at 6-4, 296 pounds and Williams ran a 4.55 40-yard dash with a 40.5-inch vertical and 10’10” broad jump) that could allow them to develop into solid pros, it looks like a really impressive group.
Khan’s approach to roster-building has been a lot of fun to watch, and that’s trickled down to the practice squad. While the likelihood is low that anyone on this year’s practice squad ever become really significant contributors, it’s chock full of guys who can fill a role and play at the NFL level with the potential to be more than just guys. It’s a group I’m excited about, and it’s a testament to Khan for building out an impressive roster.
