Ahead of the final roster cut deadline approaches, the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to make roster moves.
After cutting 11 players on Monday, the Steelers are reportedly cutting veteran outside linebacker Kyron Johnson, according to a report from NFL Insider Aaron Wilson.
Johnson found himself battling for the No. 4 OLB role this summer with Jeremiah Moon. After spending last season on the Steelers’ roster as a special teams piece, Johnson appeared to have a good chance at grabbing hold of the OLB4 role for the Steelers this season.
But, the Steelers are moving on, and Johnson could have interest from other teams, according to Wilson.
Johnson played 129 snaps in the preseason for the Steelers, including 47 against the Detroit Lions in the preseason finale. He graded out at a 71.1 overall from Pro Football Focus in the preseason, including a 73.6 against the run, a 77.3 rushing the passer and a 64.6 in coverage.
Johnson generated six pressures in the preseason as a pass rusher, including four in the finale.
The veteran outside linebacker also added another 36 snaps on special teams in the preseason, where he aimed to carve out a role once again under special teams coordinator Danny Smith.
With Johnson cut loose, it appears that the Steelers might turn to Moon for the OLB4 role. Moon was claimed off of waivers in January from the Baltimore Ravens and brings special teams experience to the table. However, he missed the final preseason matchup against the Lions with an injury, which raised questions about his ability to stick on the roster.
Of course, this could also be a signal that the Steelers are going to keep just three outside linebackers and lean further into the DeMarvin Leal experiment at outside linebacker, a position Leal started to work at this summer.
The Steelers previously signed Johnson to the practice squad on October 9 last season, and then elevated him to the 53-man roster before signing him to the roster the rest of the season. Johnson appeared in six games last season for Pittsburgh, playing 100 snaps on special teams for the Black and Gold.
Johnson had a strong preseason and made some plays defensively, which seemed to help his case. But now he’s reportedly back on the open market, where another team could snatch him up.
