The San Francisco 49ers waived DL Spencer Waege today, and there’s reason to think that the Pittsburgh Steelers could be interested. Pittsburgh reportedly signed WR Scotty Miller today, and if that signing becomes official, it would still leave the Steelers with three open roster spots, as UDFA Julius Welschof has an international exemption. The Steelers still could stand to beef up their defensive line depth, and Waege looks like an intriguing option.
At 6046 and 296 pounds, Waege has the size that the Steelers look for in their defensive linemen. He also has 32 3/8″ arms and ran a 4.91 40-yard dash last season during his Pro Day at North Dakota State. Signed to the 49ers practice squad on Nov. 15, after spending the offseason with the team as an undrafted free agent and initially being cut on Aug. 27, Waege has yet to log an NFL snap, but he did work out for the Steelers last September, so there’s a clear indicator of past interest by the team. He had one tackle in three preseason games with the 49ers last season.
He had a wealth of experience at North Dakota State, playing 57 games in his collegiate career and was a two-time FCS All-American. In his career, he had 138 tackles, 20.5 sacks, 42 tackles for a loss and five forced fumbles. The Steelers have also prioritized players who have a high relative athletic score in recent seasons, and Waege certainly fits the bill as he had a 9.58 RAS.
The Steelers did add Dean Lowry to their defensive line in free agency and drafted Logan Lee. Waege could join the two of them as guys who are able move up and down the line for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh re-signed Montravius Adams and also has Cameron Heyward and Keeanu Benton, among others, who are going to play on the defensive line, but the team also wants to look to limit Heyward’s reps in his age-35 season.
While Waege would by no means be a lock to make the 53-man roster, he could compete with the likes of Breiden Fehoko, Isaiahh Loudermilk and Jonathan Marshall for a spot on the end of the roster and potentially end up on the practice squad. Given his measurables and testing, the team’s prior interest and its need for more depth on the line, kicking the tires on Waege seems very plausible, either via waiver claim or if he clears waivers as a free agent addition.
