The Pittsburgh Steelers are building out their offseason roster. Wednesday, the team announced they signed a whopping 17 players to Reserve/Future contracts. They are: CB Luq Barqoo, OT Tyler Beach, WR Marquez Callaway, FB Jack Colleto, OT Kellen Diesch, S Jalen Elliott, OL Joey Fisher, WR Dez Fitzpatrick, OT Devery Hamilton, OT Anderson Hardy, WR Keilahn Harris, DL Jonathan Marshall, C Ryan McCollum, WR Denzel Mims, RB Aaron Shampklin, DL Jacob Slade, WR Duece Watts.
Many of those names made up the Steelers’ practice squad, while most of the outsiders were players the team worked out late in the season in preparation for Reserve/Future contracts. Of the team’s non-internal signings, Callaway is among the most notable outsiders. An athletic receiver from Tennessee, he’s caught 83 career passes for over 1,000 yards and seven scores with the New Orleans Saints from 2020 to 2022. He appeared in just three games with the Saints in 2023, failing to haul in a pass on 28 offensive snaps.
In our pre-draft scouting report, we compared Callaway to James Washington, praising his tracking and jump ball ability. Now, he’ll try to stick with the Steelers throughout the year and into training camp.
Barcoo spent the entire 2023 regular season on the Steelers’ practice squad. Carried throughout this past offseason, his ex-wide receiver background translated, and he made plays during training camp. Long and lanky, he wasn’t an impactful tackler but hung around throughout the year, no small feat for practice squaders often caught up in roster shuffles.
Beach was signed to the team’s practice squad late in the season. Undrafted out of Wisconsin, he has experience playing guard and tackle and spent time with the Houston Texans earlier in the year.
Colletto signed to the practice squad on October 9, replacing Zander Horvath. A one-time quarterback at Oregon State, he transitioned into a two-way player. A running back/fullback and linebacker. He rushed for 14 touchdowns over his final two years while recording 27 tackles in 2022 for the Beavers.
Undrafted in 2022 out of Arizona State, Diesch has an awkward body type. Standing in at 6071, 303 pounds, he lacks length with just 32 3/8-inch arms. Since entering the NFL, he spent time with the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears before the Steelers inked him to their taxi squad shortly after roster cutdowns, spending the whole season there.
Not yet appearing in an NFL game, Diesch will look to survive and attend St. Vincent College in the summer. Our Jonathan Heitritter broke down Diesch’s game coming out of college, praising his athleticism but knocking clunky footwork.
Signed during training camp and bouncing on and off the Steelers’ practice squad throughout the regular season, Elliott is physical but lacks athleticism and range. But he has some NFL experience, appearing in eight games for the Detroit Lions in 2021, and the Steelers lack long-term fixtures at safety sans Minkah Fitzpatrick. He could survive until August.
Fisher spent a handful of weeks on the Steelers’ practice squad during the regular season. A small school sleeper out of D-II Shepherd, he was lauded for his strength, run blocking, and toughness, though limitations about his length pushed him from tackle to guard at the NFL level. In addition to the Steelers, he spent time with the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns during his rookie year.
Fitzpatrick came on strong late in training camp, impressing on special teams as a gunner and coverage player, earning a spot on the practice squad. He spent the entire season with the team and made his Steelers’ debut in Week 4’s loss to the Houston Texans, logging three snaps on special teams. WR Miles Boykin is a pending free agent, and if he isn’t retained, Fitzpatrick could have a track to the 53, though he lacks the size and blocking Boykin brings.
A training camp reserve, he initially signed to the Steelers’ roster towards the end of the 2022 season, though he’s yet to appear in a game. Our summer notes on him were light, writing:
“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.”
But the Steelers’ d-line depth didn’t develop as planned, and if Marshall can stick through the offseason, he could hang around the practice squad again.
Hardy started 28 games at offensive tackle for Appalachian State but lacked great length with 32-inch arms. He spent time in the summer with the Kansas City Chiefs, shifted inside to guard, seeing time on the left and right side. Hardy worked out for the Steelers in early September.
Hamilton made 21 starts at Duke and spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants. He worked out for the Steelers on December 28.
An undersized wideout, Harris spent time with the Atlanta Falcons, playing against the Steelers in the preseason, catching six passes. A productive player at Oklahoma Baptist, he went over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns during his final collegiate season.
A versatile interior player with center and guard experience, McCollum was someone I considered a 2023 camp sleeper who never materialized. The team liked him enough to keep him on the practice squad throughout the season, and he has a bit of NFL experience with the Lions. Although center depth is thin, McCollum isn’t likely to seriously fit into the team’s 2024 plans, especially if Spencer Anderson develops in Year Two.
Once a draftnik’s dream (myself included), Mims never put it together with the New York Jets. After finally cutting bait with him, the Steelers signed Mims in early October. Steelers WRs Coach Frisman Jackson coached him at Baylor, making this a logical connection. But Mims wasn’t elevated the rest of the season and stayed on the team’s practice squad. He has size and speed but struggles to separate, dooming his chances of NFL success.
Undrafted in 2022, Shampklin worked out for the Steelers during training camp. He spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and the Indianapolis Colts and spent time in the USFL with the Houston Gamblers. In college at Harvard, he rushed for over 2,200 yards and 23 scores with three more touchdowns in the passing game.
Slade attended Michigan State, appearing in 42 games for the Spartans. At 6031, 285 pounds, he previously spent time with the Arizona Cardinals. He had four sacks in college. Pittsburgh worked him out on September 12.
Signed in mid-September, Watts did well to spend the rest of the year on the Steelers’ practice squad. Undrafted out of Tulane, he spent time with Green Bay before being inked by Pittsburgh. He has average size and testing, and we haven’t seen him in a Steelers uniform. Perhaps he’ll stick until camp, and we can offer a more thorough report.
Notable names on the Steelers’ practice squad not announced in this wave of signings include NT Breiden Fehoko, RB Anthony McFarland Jr., OLB David Perales, LB Jaylon Smith, and P Brad Wing. It’s possible those players and others will be added later in the coming days, though players with more pedigree, like Fehoko and McFarland, may weigh their options elsewhere. S Eric Rowe and LB Myles Jack also aren’t on this list though it’s less likely they would be retained on a Future deal and could be re-signed later in the offseason to one-year, minimum-level contracts.
Look for detailed “Future” reports on these 17 players throughout the offseason.
