Player: DB Anthony Averett
Stock Value: Purchased
Reasoning: The only tryout player the Steelers have signed after rookie minicamp, Anthony Averett is a legitimate 53-man roster candidate. A six-year veteran, he is coming off a season derailed by injury, struggling with health for most of his career. But he is healthy now and ready to compete for a role on defense and on special teams.
The Baltimore Ravens selected Anthony Averett in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He’s since played 1,732 defensive snaps and 365 on special teams but has missed many more due to injury. Back in 2021, he played over 800 defensive snaps in just 14 games, but he missed most of 2022.
After injuries left him without steady employment last season, Averett found himself in an unfamiliar position. He admitted that he didn’t even know veterans could try out for teams during rookie minicamp. But he swallowed his pride and took the invitation to do so, earning a spot with the Steelers.
That is only a spot on the 90-man roster, of course; he has a long way to go before he makes the 53-man roster. But given the Steelers’ lack of depth at cornerback, Averett stands a good chance of making the team.
One issue is the fact that Averett is primarily an outside cornerback, historically. The Steelers already have their outside cornerbacks in Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson, still in search of a slot. But they need depth throughout the room, so even if Averett doesn’t start, he still has value.
Averett does have some experience playing in the slot, so he could potentially compete for that role. He doesn’t have quite as extensive a special teams resume as you may like, either, but he’s contributed to most units.
Right now, the depth is looking pretty suspect. You have Cory Trice Jr., Darius Rush, and rookie Ryan Watts, all late-round picks with question marks. There are other veterans in the mix competing, such as Josiah Scott as a slot candidate.
There should be some reasonable competition here in training camp, even if there are no big names. Anthony Averett is likely to be right in the middle of that as we stand here today, though plans change. For all we know, he may not even make it to training camp.
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.
