Like every other NFL team, the Pittsburgh Steelers cut their roster down to 53 players ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. There were some surprise moves made by the Steelers, with more linebackers being kept than expected and only four cornerbacks making the cut. Of course, the Steelers final 53 man roster will almost certainly differ from the current one, as the team should still make moves to address personnel issues. After the roster cuts, there are still Steelers positions of need that should be addressed before the season starts.
Pittsburgh Steelers Positions of Need Following Roster Cuts
Cornerback
There is a glaring lack of depth at the cornerback position for the Steelers. Of all their positions of need, it is by far the biggest. Even their group of starters is nothing to write home about, with Joe Haden and James Pierre expected to start on the outside and Cameron Sutton the likely nickel cornerback. After that group, Justin Layne is the only cornerback currently signed to the roster. Two seasons into his career, Layne has yet to live up to his third-round pick status. With average starters and essentially no depth, Pittsburgh will almost certainly make a move here.
Another issue for the Steelers is that there isn’t an extremely talented group of unsigned cornerbacks sitting around. Their better option would be looking to trade for a cornerback who can come in and start right away. Reports are that they already tried to do just that. Unfortunately, they are running thin on 2022 draft capital after a slew of trades they made involving mid-late round draft picks the past few months. They definitely are not in a good spot with their group of cornerbacks, but they need to figure something out, because they need the depth.
I can report with near certainty that the #Steelers have at the very least checked in with the #Broncos on a potential trade for CB Bryce Callahan
— Mike Nicastro (@MikedUpSports1) August 29, 2021
Offensive Tackle
There is a boat load of risk with the Steelers offensive tackles. Chukwuma Okorafor, who was very up-and-down in 2020, will be the left tackle. Zach Banner will start at right tackle, after starting one game at the same position in 2020 before suffering an ACL tear. For depth, the Steelers have veteran Joe Haeg who has struggled in the preseason. Beyond Haeg, there’s rookie Dan Moore Jr., who clearly has upside but probably isn’t someone the Steelers want playing significant snaps in 2021.
Realistically, the Steelers would be wise to acquire a starting-caliber tackle. Their starters have upside but they also have an uncomfortable amount of risk. They probably won’t find a reliable starter at this point in the off-season, though. If they don’t have the assets to trade for corner depth, they surely can’t trade for a starting tackle. The best remaining free agent is Mitchell Schwartz, but at 32 years old and dealing with back injuries, he’s no sure thing.
Safety
This was one of the Steelers positions of need entering the cuts, so it’s definitely a need after the cuts. It’s a top-heavy group. Minkah Fitzpatrick is of course one of the top safeties in the league, and Terrell Edmunds continues to improve. Beyond the starters, though, it gets a little gloomy. The two depth pieces are 2021 seventh-round rookie Tre Norwood and veteran Miles Killebrew, who has 105 total tackles in four seasons. Former safety Marcus Allen also made the roster, but as a linebacker. He is capable of playing box safety in a pinch, though. One name to watch is Karl Joseph, who visited with the Steelers over the off-season before signing with the Las Vegas Raiders and ultimately being cut. He would be a very quality depth pickup.
[pickup_prop id=”6665″]
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
