By Jess Costello
SteelerNation.com
The Pittsburgh Steelers had a plan for the 2019 NFL Draft, like they always do. But this plan didn’t really catch anyone off guard. Just like the off-season, the Steelers are kicking out the ‘old’ and welcoming the ‘new.’ For very obvious reasons this off-season, it was about time the Steelers welcome new talent into the locker room and get back to work.
Word has already gotten out that Jon Bostic, veteran linebacker, is being released. But this very well could be only the beginning of the end for some more veterans. Before mini-camp starts, the Steelers could be saying farewell to some other familiar faces.
Here are some more of the potential veterans that could be parting ways with the Steelers pre or post mini-camp:
Artie Burns, Cornerback
The Steelers have commented on the status of Burns on the team and have made it clear that they hope he could find his confidence again and be an asset to the team. But with the signing of Steven Nelson and the drafting of Justin Layne, Burns could very well be benched again. Burns, a former first-round pick was benched last season as well.
Tyler Matakevich, Linebacker
The Steelers have pretty much drafted three inside linebackers and signed veteran Mark Barron. There are only so many spots that these backs can fill and it’s very clear that every rookie linebacker that they have signed is more athletic than Matakevich.
Eli Rogers, Wide Receiver
Rogers is in a different category compared to his teammates accompanying him. The depth chart consists of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Donte Moncrief, James Washington, Ryan Switzer, and Diontae Johnson. With these guys around him, it doesn’t look as if Rogers fits in any scenario here. The new talent that Johnson brings to the team could be the fill-in for Rogers’ position. Ryan Switzer was also another big-time contributor for the team and it doesn’t look like the Steelers would release him.
Jordan Berry, Punter
Berry has been inconsistent for the Steelers which could be his falling out for the team. Although the team has already made a financial commitment to Berry this off-season, newly brought in undrafted free agent, Ian Berryman could be the answer for the inconsistency. We’ll see if Berry is pushed off the roster in the coming weeks.
Let us know your thoughts on these possible releases in the comment section below! More to come.
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