Player: S Terrell Edmunds
Stock Value: Purchased
Reasoning: The Steelers are reportedly signing their former first-round draft pick, S Terrell Edmunds, to the 53-man roster from Jacksonville’s practice squad. A former four-year starter in their system, he is returning to serve as depth —and very good depth.
Terrell Edmunds, as far as we know, chose not to re-sign with the Steelers during the 2022 offseason. A former first-round pick, the Steelers didn’t pick up his option, and they likely offered him veteran minimum. He ended up signing for the same elsewhere, but perhaps felt he had a chance for a better future there.
Well, Edmunds turned out to be wrong, as the Eagles ended up trading him in-season to the Titans. He signed with the Jaguars in mid-May, but he didn’t make the team. While he spent the first week on their practice squad (and dressed as an elevation, playing six snaps), he is now a member of the Steelers again.
The Steelers are reportedly signing Terrell Edmunds to their 53-man roster off the Jaguars’ practice squad. They already have Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott as starting safeties, and Damontae Kazee as depth and for nickel work.
Edmunds just insulates them even further, with two backups who have significant starting experience. And Edmunds brings with him the built-in advantage of four years of knowledge of the defense.
Now, I don’t know if he is going to play at all, let alone right away. In the opener, the Steelers left S Jalen Elliott on the inactive list. The only way I can see them dressing Edmunds is if they sit another defensive lineman, like Isaiahh Loudermilk. Loudermilk played 10 defensive snaps and eight special teams snaps in the opener, though.
If Terrell Edmunds wants to dress, and especially to dress right away, he might have to play special teams. That’s not an unfamiliar role for him—he logged over 200 such snaps in 2023, and over 200 as a rookie with the Steelers, as well, even while starting. But I like the fact that he is on the roster now. He doesn’t have to dress every week to still be quality depth in the event of an injury.
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.
