The Pittsburgh Steelers roster is back down to 87 players, leaving three open spots ahead of Organized Team Activities (OTAs). General Manager, Omar Khan may very well be lining something up, or just simply leaving a few spots open. Recently, the team met with veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander. With the position still seen as a bit of a weakness, Alexander end up taking one of the open roster spots.
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Veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander would provide a huge boost to the Steelers' lack of depth at the linebacker position.
Steelers Announce New Roster Moves Monday
In fact, two of the players released on Monday were linebackers in Tae Crowder and Emeke Egbule. Neither were seen as major contributors for the upcoming squad and unlikely to even make the 53-man roster. Crowder is the bigger name there, as he started 31 games for the New York Giants over the last three years. He was the final pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but will likely latch on somewhere before OTAs and training camp begins.
We have signed LB Toby Ndukwe and released LB Tae Crowder, LB Emeke Egbule and RB Master Teague. @BordasLawhttps://t.co/w9ivEDN95I
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) May 22, 2023
Running back, Master Teague was released again as it's been a back-and-forth journey for him over the past year. He was a training camp standout in Latrobe in 2022, showing a ton of physicality in the backfield. An injury set him back and it's been difficult for him to get his feet under him since. Now, he finds himself as a free agent once again just ahead of OTAs.
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In 2022, Master Teague was competing with Jaylen Warren at Steelers training camp for a 53-man roster spot.
As for the signing made, Toby Ndukwe is an undrafted rookie free agent. After spending the first few years of his collegiate career at SMU, he transferred to Sam Houston State for his final year in 2022. There, he broke out and was an All-WAC First Team selection. The Bearkats have him listed as a defensive lineman, while others list him as an outside linebacker.
In 2022, he racked up 34 tackles, an interception and 10 tackles for loss in nine games. That included a stellar performance in the season opener against Texas A&M, a stout SEC opponent. In that particular game, he finished the day with three tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Ndukwe is a long shot to make the roster in 2023, but he will have the chance to prove himself in the upcoming OTAs.
With three open roster spots, as aforementioned, Alexander could be a possibility to fill one of those. Versatile linebacker, Kyle Van Noy is another free agent name to watch, as he can line up on the edge or at inside linebacker. Last week, he sent a cryptic tweet hinting at the possibility of reuniting with his former teammate Breiden Fehoko in Pittsburgh.
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Veteran edge rusher Kyle Van Noy (#8) is a guy that would make sense for the Steelers in free agency.
Edge rusher remains a position that the team could find more depth at. Van Noy could help there, as could a few different veterans still left on the market. Justin Houston and Yannick Ngakoue are just two names that would make some sense. Fortunately for the Steelers, edge rusher is definitely the deepest position remaining in free agency. Then again, Khan could very well be keeping those spots open just in case something pops up.
There are also several surprising cuts around the league every year. The front office may be active when roster cuts take place in August, as there should be some good depth options potentially available by then.
What positions do you think the team should address with the three spots? How big of an addition would Alexander be to the defense? Would you prefer a versatile defender like Van Noy? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, as well as on our social media sites, yinz!
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