The Pittsburgh Steelers NFL draft class developed some fan favorites throughout the preseason. The good news for Steelers fans is that Drew Allar will remain on the roster. Allar was a third-round pick, and a possible quarterback of the future. Mike McCarthy also wants to keep Will Howard, a sixth-round pick from the previous regime, on the 53-man. I do not make the rules.
Four quarterbacks is a lot! It also means the Steelers will have to release players around the margins. Thus, Elandon Roberts isn’t good enough. Broderick Jones gets traded. Kaleb Johnson, a former third-round pick, is sent to the Packers. Do you get the picture?
Pittsburgh Steelers roster cuts and trades, ranked
Pittsburgh Steelers v Buffalo Bills | Bryan Bennett/GettyImages
Eli Heidenriech is far from a guarantee for the Steelers
I was there when the Steelers drafted Eli Heidenreich. The Mt. Lebanon product lived right down the street from my uncle. I, of course, was at the NFL Draft. Pittsburgh has plenty of running backs, but they have few with the skillset of Eli. Heidenriech knows he has to play special teams and catch passes out of the backfield. He spent most of training camp focusing on just that. Still, recent rumors suggest he will not make the roster, and could have interest elsewhere. That’s the life of a seventh-round pick.
Steelers trade Kaleb Johnson to the Green Bay Packers
Kaleb Johnson never really stood a chance, as the Steelers running back made a critical kickoff error in one of his first NFL games. Out of Iowa, Johnson was considered a perfect fit for Arthur Smith’s running scheme. That, of course, couldn’t have been further from the truth, and Johnson was quickly burried on the depth chart behind Jaylen Warren and now Rico Dowdle. NFL head coaches love players they can trust. Johnson was not one of those, and it doesn’t matter how high he was drafted considering that pick was made by a previous regime.
Steelers trade Broderick Jones to the Dallas Cowboys
The Steelers traded Broderick Jones and a fourth-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a third-round pick and sixth-round selection. Jones was a former first-round pick in the Tomlin regime, but failed to adjust to the professional level. Broderick always had the athleticism to succeed in the pros — and perhaps Dallas can unlock him better than the Steelers ever could — but his hand placement and fundamentals never quite clicked. His recent injury history also made getting back up to game weight a challenge in camp.
Steelers release LB Elandon Roberts
Roberts was a surprise cut, as he was just added to the roster a few weeks ago. The Steelers inside linebacker group is thin enough as is, so don’t be surprised if Pittsburgh tries to add Roberts back to the practice squad. His experience with Patrick Graham is a plus, and Roberts is as sure of a tackler as there is on the Steelers roster. This could be the issue with rostering four quarterbacks, however, in Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar. Other positions of importance could lack depth, including one the Steelers aren’t all that confident in.
Complete list of Pittsburgh Steelers roster cutsRB Alex TeczaWR Jakobie Keeney-JamesWR Cornell PowellWR Isaiah WinsteadTE Jaheim BellOL Gregory CrippenDB Jaylon GuilbeauDB Jack HendersonDB Brandon HillDB Tamon LynumDB Daryl PorterLB Jamin DavisWR Levi WentzLB Elandon RobertsDL Dean LowryDL Esezi OtomewoCB Jaylon GuilbeauCB Tamon LynumCB Daryl Porter Jr.SS Jack HendersonSS Brandon Hill
So far, Roberts and Lowry are the most well-known players released by the Steelers, but there are plenty more to come. Lowry’s been involved with the team in a few training camps now, but couldn’t quite make the cut thanks to a deep interior defense line group that includes Cameron Heyward, Keanu Benton and Derrick Harmon.
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