Among the Steelers’ undrafted free agent signings is K Ben Sauls, yet he has zero chance of making the team. So how does signing with Pittsburgh play to his advantage? It’s actually fairly simple, and begins with an assumption. If he had a clear-cut opportunity to win a starting job with another team, he would have signed there.
Sauls signed with the Steelers, so we can reasonably assume he didn’t have such an opportunity. Not that he doesn’t have talent. That’s why Bob Labriola believes the arrangement is “a win-win for both sides”, as he said in his latest Asked and Answered column for the Steelers’ website.
“I see the signing of Ben Sauls as a win-win for both sides, because the player is going to get a lot of work/exposure during training camp and the preseason because the Steelers won’t want to burn out Chris Boswell, and the team gets a competent leg for practices and preseason games, plus an up-close look and a chance to work with a guy who eventually will be one of 32 NFL placekickers”, he wrote in an impressively long—but not to be confused with run-on–sentence.
Interestingly, one factor he failed to mention is perhaps the most obvious. Ben Sauls spent his college career kicking in the stadium where the Steelers play. He has been in and out of their building for years, and no doubt already knows some players and coaches. If you don’t have a clear-cut roster spot waiting, then it helps to have familiarity with your new environment. That includes knowing the field on which you’re going to kick.
But in the meantime, Sauls will learn from the Steelers’ great kicker, Chris Boswell, and work with special teams coach Danny Smith, who has a strong reputation around the league. He will play for a team that prioritizes special teams. And most importantly, he will have plenty of opportunities to actually kick.
Since 2021, Steelers kickers other than Chris Boswell have attempted nine field goals and 11 extra points. And that’s partially due to game circumstances that it isn’t higher. Boswell is only getting older, so they’ll likely want to rest him more. Ben Sauls could get a lot of work in the preseason.
And that’s not even talking about all of the work in training camp. Sauls will have all the kicks he can handle in Latrobe, I’m sure. And hey, maybe some team needs a kicker by the end of August. I’m sure the Steelers wouldn’t balk at the offer of a seventh-round pick. They did trade Brad Wing back in 2015.
The Baltimore Ravens just released Justin Tucker and drafted a kicker to replace him. What if he struggles and Sauls looks demonstrably better during training camp? Even if the Steelers couldn’t swing a deal for him, Baltimore or another team in need of a kicker might call. They have had recent special teamers find work elsewhere in Corliss Waitman, Matthew Wright, and even Colin Holba.
