Player: TE MyCole Pruitt
Stock Value: Purchased
Reasoning: Though not quite the “splash” that I suggested, the Steelers have made at least one more move before the draft. They’re reportedly signing veteran TE MyCole Pruitt to a one-year, likely Veteran Salary Benefit contract, to compete for a spot. He figures to battle Rodney Williams and perhaps Connor Heyward in that tight end room heading into the 2024 season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have added another Arthur Smith player to their roster, signing TE MyCole Pruitt. A 10th-year veteran, Pruitt recently turned 32 years old and has spent five of the past six years with Smith.
Pruitt first signed with the Tennessee Titans in 2018, at which point Smith was their tight ends coach. Smith became their offensive coordinator the following year for two years before moving on. The Atlanta Falcons hired him as head coach in 2021, and Pruitt followed along in free agency in 2022.
With that said, his history with Smith only means so much. Pruitt’s spent a fair amount of time bouncing on and off the practice squad, as recently as 2022. In other words, it’s not like Smith finds him an indispensable piece to run his offense.
But he certainly helps, featuring as a blocker in his heavy packages. Pruitt is not the ideal size for a tight end, but he’s a more than willing blocker who does have trust in this area. Smith even allows him to block solo in pass protection.
Pruitt has good play strength, but technique and timing occasionally get in the way. As a receiver, he receives relatively few targets, but they tend to come off play-action in the red zone. He has just 25 catches the past two years, but five went for touchdowns. He has 12 career touchdowns on just 71 catches. Of course, that’s more a factor of how offenses use him than his being an unstoppable force.
The Steelers already have Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington as hard locks at tight end. Pruitt will compete with special teamer Rodney Williams for a roster spot, perhaps Connor Heyward as well. However, there may well be room for all five of them, especially if they move Heyward to fullback.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
