Player: DL Logan Lee
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: The Pittsburgh Steelers, at least for now, elected to keep DL Logan Lee on the 53-man roster. A sixth-round rookie, he is one of eight defensive linemen on the roster as of this writing. He finished the preseason dealing with some injury and did not play in the finale. Some speculate that the Steelers may soon move him to the Reserve/Injured List, which could happen today. If not, there is no immediate reason to think they intend to address his roster spot. Even if he remains, he will not dress for games, in all likelihood.
The Steelers retaining Logan Lee on their 53-man roster was arguably the most surprising move they made. At least it is surprising on the surface, but it may soon make more sense. The Steelers placed two players on the Reserve/Injured List with a return designation when making their initial 53-man roster, but they can subsequently add six more with return designations.
With Lee ending the preseason dealing with an injury, could they now move him to the Reserve/Injured List? The Steelers have been off over the weekend but return to practice today. Now back to business, this Monday is the most likely time for them to make such a move.
If there is any move to make, that is, as it’s quite possible the Steelers just want Logan Lee on the roster. A sixth-round pick, Lee actually spent most of training camp playing out of position at nose tackle. Perhaps the Steelers liked his willingness to help the team due to injuries at the position. Maybe they just didn’t want to risk losing a draft pick they hope to develop.
As I’ve mentioned before, the Steelers thus far retain every single draft pick made by general manager Omar Khan. That sounds less impressive when you know that only spans two seasons, but the Steelers had never rostered an entire draft class before. Logan Lee was the player most at risk not to make the team between both classes. And yet, at least as of this writing, he is still here. And even if they do move him to the Reserve/Injured List, he technically isn’t going anywhere. That’s where Ryan Watts, their other sixth-round pick, is right now.
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.
