Steelers Who Need Strong Preseason Finish to Make 53-Man Roster
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a good problem on their hands with the selection of their 53-man roster.
Pittsburgh's young players on offense made leaps in training camp. Darnell Washington and Calvin Austin III will be roster locks and potential difference-makers in the regular season.
The success of the younger offensive skill-position players makes a few veterans vulnerable going into Thursday's preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons.
Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff must debate if keeping six wide receivers or four tight ends is possible with the help the team needs on defense.
The Steelers will need help in the secondary between now and Week 1, and that means one or two potential roster spots could be taken away from players who are on the fringe of the roster already.
Zach Gentry
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Zach Gentry's roster spot could be eliminated by Darnell Washington's emergence.
The Steelers have a clear top two at tight end with Washington being the backup to Pat Freiermuth.
Connor Heyward could qualify as a third tight end on the roster, even though he will serve as the fullback in most formations.
That leaves Gentry on the brink of getting cut because of numbers across the roster. It will be hard for the Steelers to justify keeping four tight ends and fullbacks.
Gentry has not been much of a pass-catcher in his three years with the Steelers. He has 303 receiving yards off 49 receptions.
He still serves a purpose on the roster because of his blocking, but the Steelers need to determine if that is enough to keep him if the pass-catching does not improve.
Gentry needs a solid third preseason game in all aspects to remind the Steelers how valuable he can be in different situations.
Miles Boykin
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Miles Boykin's roster fate might already be sealed.
The former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver has been eclipsed by Calvin Austin III on the wide receiver depth chart, and he serves the same purpose as Gunner Olszewski on special teams.
Olszewski is the more experienced return man between himself and Boykin, so that make the Steelers decision to keep five wide receivers easy.
Boykin needs a strong showing against the Falcons to remind the coaching staff of what he can bring on offense and special teams.
Every play will matter for Boykin, who had two receptions for 11 yards in his first season with the Steelers, or he could be headed for the practice squad or another roster.
Montravius Adams
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Montravius Adams has been played off the roster by Armon Watts and Isaiahh Loudermilk.
Watts and Loudermilk were two of the standouts on the defensive line throughout preseason, and there are only so many defensive linemen the team can keep.
Unlike Boykin and Gentry, Adams does not have a clear path to the roster if cuts are made elsewhere.
Adams' roster spot was made redundant by Watts and Loudermilk, but you never know what can happen in the final preseason contest.
Adams could have his best performance of the preseason and make the Steelers coaching staff at least think of bringing eight defensive linemen into the regular season.
Even if Adams were to make the roster, he may not stay in the buildup to Week 1 if the Steelers bring in free-agent additions.
The Steelers need help at cornerback and they could use the free-agent market to address that concern in the next few weeks. That could leave players like Adams, Boykin and Gentry vulnerable if the Steelers need to cut a player.
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