After it was reported that veteran cornerback Anthony Averett was attending Pittsburgh Steelers rookie minicamp as a tryout player, it was largely expected that if he looked the part and was healthy, the Steelers would sign him to their 90-man offseason roster.
On Sunday, that’s what happened as the Steelers announced they had signed the veteran to a one-year deal, adding depth and experience to the cornerback room behind Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson.
It’s certainly not the flashiest signing but adding a 30-year-old cornerback with 1,478 career snaps as a boundary corner at this stage of the offseason is a good move for the Steelers.
The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly certainly believes so. During an appearance on the 93.7 The Fan Morning Show Monday, Kaboly stated that the signing of Averett gives the Steelers a veteran at the position who has “been there, done that” in the NFL.
“…You don’t see many six-year veterans. When they bring a six-year veteran in for a tryout, they’re signing him. You pretty much knew it,” Kaboly said regarding Averett, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan. “So you go talk to ’em right away. He’s just been battling with some injuries here the past couple years that kept people away from him. He wasn’t a star in Baltimore, but he was decent. He was decent.
“Gives you a cheap depth option of a veteran option right? Now that doesn’t mean he’s gonna play, he isn’t gonna start or anything, but at least gives you a guy that’s been there and done that for the past five or six years.”
A “been there and done that” guy is the perfect way to sum up Averett. He’s not going to be a star, he’s likely not going to push for a starting role or even a legitimate role in the secondary. But he is a good depth piece to have, even if he never expected to wind up in this spot.
A fourth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2018 NFL Draft, Averett played for the Ravens for four seasons before spending the 2022 season with the Las Vegas Raiders. The Alabama product then signed with the San Francisco 49ers and spent the offseason there before being cut and landing on the Lions’ practice squad for the 2023 season.
Now, he’s in Pittsburgh as a depth piece in a rebuilt cornerback room the saw the Steelers trade for Donte Jackson this offseason while also hoping that second-year pros Cory Trice Jr. and Darius Rush take leaps in Year 2 in the NFL.
Averett, who turns 30 in November, has played in 51 career games, with 47 career starts. During his time in the NFL, Averett has three interceptions, all of which came in 2021 when he started 14 games for the Ravens.
Averett has played 1,734 NFL snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, with 1,478 outside and just 139 snaps in the slot.
We’ll see if the Steelers add another player to their cornerback room, especially at slot cornerback as there is still a glaring need there. But Averett at least provides dependable depth at outside cornerback behind Porter and Jackson.
