5 Pittsburgh Steelers Veterans Now on Roster Bubble Following Draft

The 2015 NFL draft has come and gone, with the Pittsburgh Steelers adding eight new players to their roster. But with every addition comes a subtraction. An infusion of rookies can mean peril for veterans trying to hang onto their jobs.

Though there is a lot of time between now and when the Steelers will start making roster cuts in earnest, there are veterans who should be concerned that they may not be wearing black and gold come Week 1. Here are five veteran Steelers who could be on the roster bubble now that the draft has wrapped. 

TE Matt Spaeth

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When the Steelers selected tight end Jesse James in Round 5 of the 2015 NFL draft, it was but the latest sign that veteran starter Heath Miller's time with the team is nearly up. But it's not Miller's roster spot that is in immediate jeopardy. Instead, the tight end most affected by the pick of James is fellow veteran Matt Spaeth.

Spaeth is primarily a blocking tight end. He caught only three passes for 46 yards and one touchdown in 2014. But his blocking ability is valuable for the Steelers, and thus the team signed him to a two-year, $2.2 million contract earlier this offseason.

That contract, however, contains just $275,000 in guaranteed money, an early indication that the Steelers may turn away from Spaeth this year should the right opportunity arise.

That opportunity is certainly present with James' arrival in Pittsburgh. James should see significant playing time this year as he prepares to eventually take over for Miller. This means any targets or blocking snaps belonging to Spaeth could now fall to James, making Spaeth a candidate for release at some point this summer.

CB B.W. Webb

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Cornerback B.W. Webb came to the Steelers as a free agent last year to provide depth at the cornerback position. As such, he played only four defensive snaps for the team in 2014, and otherwise did the majority of his work on special teams.

Webb had a chance to get more playing time in 2015, given that the Steelers were particularly thin when it came to cornerbacks with actual on-field experience. But now, with the team drafting Senquez Golson in Round 2 and Doran Grant in Round 4, Webb may no longer be needed.

Any potential playing time on defense for Webb has been cut into by the drafting of Golson and Grant, and it's quite possible either or both could take on his special teams role as they get acclimated to the speed and rhythm of the NFL game. Webb would have to prove invaluable as a special teamer and reserve cornerback to last through the team's final round of roster cuts that close out the preseason.

WR Darrius Heyward-Bey

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Much like B.W. Webb, veteran receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey joined the Steelers in 2014 to provide backup at the position and provide help on special teams in punt and kick return coverage. And much like Webb, a 2015 draft pick could force him off the roster. 

Heyward-Bey had just three catches for 33 yards in 2014. Though he's a speedy deep threat, the Steelers didn't much need his services on offense. As a marginal player, Heyward-Bey stands to have the most to lose from the Steelers' drafting Auburn wideout Sammie Coates in Round 3.

Coates is a raw prospect who needs to work on his hands and concentration. But in the Heyward-Bey role as a rookie, he can be developed slowly and not pushed farther than the Steelers need to take him in Year 1.

Though Coates may not be able to outperform Heyward-Bey as a receiver, Heyward-Bey's lack of involvement with the offense last year indicates that his performance as a receiver is not what they value most about him.

If the Steelers need to make a decision about the final receiver to make their 53-man roster this year, Coates will get the nod over Heyward-Bey, especially if Coates can prove himself as an equally effective special teamer. 

S Will Allen

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Steelers safety Will Allen is primarily a backup. Though he did appear in parts of all 16 games for the team last year, he totaled only four starts and 36 combined tackles. Still, he provided the team with valuable depth at a relatively thin position and thus the Steelers chose to bring him back on a cheap one-year deal earlier this year, paying him just $80,000 in guaranteed money.

The safety position is far from solved, but the Steelers did make one significant step toward shoring it up for the future by selecting Louisville's Gerod Holliman in Round 7 of the 2015 draft.

Now, a seventh-round selection is not generally a good sign for a player's chances of making an active roster, but Holliman is an exception. He led the NCAA in interceptions in 2014, with 14, and ultimately won the Thorpe Award, given to college football's top defensive back.

Holliman may not be ready to start in 2015, but he may be ready to take on Allen's role as a reserve safety and a special teamer. With Allen's cheap, one-year deal, it's clear that the Steelers do not consider him a long-term solution at either position. Holliman, on the other hand, can be just that.

DE Cam Thomas

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The point cannot be hammered home enough: Steelers defensive end Cam Thomas was the worst player at his position in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus. He struggled as a pass-rusher, notching just half a sack, and was even more of a liability as a run-stopper. Yet, he still started nine games and played in all 16. 

Thomas should not only be replaced in the starting lineup by 2014 draft pick Stephon Tuitt but could also be pushed all the way off the roster thanks to the team selecting Central Michigan's Leterrius Walton to add to their cadre of defensive ends.

Walton has the advantages of youth and upside that Thomas does not possess. Thomas' ceiling has long been reached while Walton is barely approaching the full range of his potential. If the Steelers plan on Thomas being a bench presence this year, that spot would be better filled by Walton. Should he take the field, he'll learn from experience. With Thomas out there, the defensive line will simply be dragged down.