The Pittsburgh Steelers are now just five days away from reporting to St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA for their 2023 training camp. For a lot of players currently on the roster, this is a time of year to look forward to. Getting back to Latrobe with teammates to start the season off right is what a lot of players look forward to all offseason, especially after missing the playoffs in 2022. However, some players know they need to produce an amazing performance that shows their worth to the team and the impact they can have on the field, which makes this time of year very stressful for them.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (@JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Steelers training camp huddle in 2022.
Bleacher Report recently released an article discussing which Steelers players need to put on an impressive performance at training camp in order to keep their roster spot. One name that was listed is Steelers tight end, Zach Gentry. Gentry has made a mark as a fan favorite of many Steelers fans, as his relationship with starting tight end, Pat Freiermuth, is both hilarious and heart warming. This is seen in their episodes of Grillin' N' Chillin' on the Steelers' YouTube channel.
Other Steelers players who were listed as possible training camp casualties were wide receiver and special teamer, Miles Boykin, and newly signed tackle Le'Raven Clark. Boykin and Clark are both looking to have a career resurgence, so both will be under a lot of pressure to show flashes of what they can do at training camp.
What Is The Likelihood Of The Steelers Actually Moving On From These Players?
At this point in the offseason, right before training camp begins, there is a lot of speculation on what every NFL team's final 53-man roster will look like once Week 1 arrives. It's almost impossible to predict every move by a team during training camp. Team's have 90 players on their roster at the beginning of training camp, and by the end of it, they dwindle it down to just 53. 37 players will either need to be cut by the Steelers, or cut and signed to the practice squad, so how likely is it that one of these 37 players is Gentry, Boykin, or Clark?
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation
Pittsburgh Steelers Tight End Zach Gentry
What Is The Likelihood Gentry Gets Cut By The Steelers?
Gentry was originally a third round selection by the Steelers in 2019. He only played in six games throughout his first two seasons due to injury. In the two seasons since, he has started 25 total games alongside Freiermuth and played in all 17 games each season. Gentry is more of a blocking tight end, as he has only caught 38 passes in the past two seasons combined and has never scored a NFL touchdown. His lack of receiving doesn't make him unimportant to the Steelers offense as he plays a major role in the running game due to his blocking.
Gentry's competition this training camp will be with both Connor Heyward and rookie, Darnell Washington. Heyward is going into his second season and showed flashes of his athleticism last year, including taking a jet sweep 21-yards to seal the victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Heyward is known for his versatility, as he played running back, fullback, and tight end in college. His experience in the backfield could be important since the Steelers decided not to bring back fullback, Derek Watt.
Washington was selected in the third round of this year's NFL Draft. He is a great blocking tight end, which is unfortunate for Gentry because Washington is also an elite playmaker who can make plays in open field, a skill Gentry lacks.
There is no world where Heyward or Washington get cut. Obviously, Freiermuth will be the team's starting tight end. For Gentry, it all depends how many tight ends the Steelers want to carry on the roster. In 2022, they had three, in 2021 they had four. I imagine they will decide to keep four this season as well and Gentry will remain a Steeler due to him being able to mentor Washington in the run game and his likability within the locker room.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_Photo)
The Steelers re-signed Miles Boykin late in the offseason, and his special teams impact makes him a likely candidate to make the 53-man roster.
What Is The Likelihood Boykin Gets Cut By The Steelers?
The Steelers claimed Boykin off of waivers one day after he was released by the Baltimore Ravens during the 2022 offseason. In his one season with the Steelers, Boykin was essentially nonexistent on offense. He recorded two receptions for 11 yards on three targets. However, Boykin did make his presence felt through special teams as he played over 200 snaps there. He made quite the impact in that phase of the game, enough to have the Steelers re-sign him to another one-year deal.
Assuming the Steelers keep five wide receivers, as they did last year, Boykin will be competing with Hakeem Butler and Gunner Olszewski for the fifth wide receiver spot. Calvin Austin III being healthy and the team signing Allen Robinson II in free agency have hurt Boykin's chances of making the team, but as long as he can show offensive improvement and prove he is more than a special teamer, there is no reason for him to be cut.
Brian Garfinkel / BrianGarfinkel.com
Pittsburgh Steelers sign offensive tackle Le'Raven Clark who had played with the Tennessee Titans and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Clark was signed by the Steelers back in March of this offseason. The Steelers mark the fourth team Clark has played on in the past four years. Chukwuma Okorafor likely has the right tackle starting spot locked up, unless the Steelers decide to release him due to his cap hit. Dan Moore Jr. and the Steelers' top pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, Broderick Jones, are both options at left tackle.
Unfortunately for Clark, he doesn't seem to fit on this roster unless a shocking cut is made by Omar Khan. His chances for being cut are very high unless he performs at an unexpected level during training camp.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Do you think any of these players will be cut? Comment below!
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