We are just over a week away from Pittsburgh Steelers roster cuts. If you didn’t already know, the NFL tweaked how roster cuts are handled this year. Rather than requiring rosters to be cut down in increments, teams must be down to the 53 players by Tuesday, August 29. It’s up to the franchises to decide when to cut those players, as they can cut 37 of them just before the deadline if they wanted.
Getty Images
Steelers rookie Nick Herbig has been one of the team's many standouts in the first two 2023 preseason contests.
It’s never an easy task for a general manager, as he has to let go of 37 players. After another dominating preseason performance against the Buffalo Bills, it’s clear that the Steelers will have to cut ties with several deserving players. That holds true along the defensive line, as the front office really bolstered that group this offseason. Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin spoke about this via Mike DeFabo of The Athletic on Monday.
“We may lose a guy that we know can play in the NFL," Austin said via DeFabo.
Heading into the offseason, the depth with this unit was a huge question mark. Since then, General Manager Omar Khan has made several key moves. The front office re-signed Larry Ogunjobi to a three-year, $28.75 million deal. That was perhaps the most crucial move, as Ogunjobi started 16 games for the Steelers in 2022. Beyond Cam Heyward, he was the team’s most reliable defensive lineman. Now, he just needs to stay healthy.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (x: @JSKO_PHOTO)
The Steelers re-signed Larry Ogunjobi this offseason, which was huge considering the need along the defensive line.
While he only missed one full contest in 2022, a foot issue plagued him all year. Now, he’s already been out with an injury in training camp. Additionally, Khan improved the depth along that defensive line. Breiden Fehoko and Armon Watts aren’t long-term answers necessarily, but they round out the team’s depth nicely. The two have plenty of experience on an NFL field, as they've combined for 2,135 career defensive snaps.
It's a nice improvement from years past in which the Steelers depth along the defensive line was questionable, at best. Keeanu Benton is the X-factor with this unit, as the team selected him in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Wisconsin product has plenty of potential, and even if he doesn't start right away, expect him to take over at some point in 2023.
So, from this group, who will be cut? Well, Benton, Heyward, Ogunjobi, and DeMarvin Leal are all locks. You might as well add Montravius Adams to that group, as he continues to run with the first-team defense in practice. That leaves the final few spots to Fehoko, Watts, and Isaiahh Loudermilk. Loudermilk is set to enter his third season in the NFL after seeing a decrease in playing time in 2022.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation.com (x: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers defensive lineman Montravius Adams has become a key piece in Pittsburgh, as he's listed as the team's first-string nose tackle ahead of the 2023 season.
The team recently tried him at outside linebacker for a bit, perhaps to try and increase his value. In my recent 53-man roster prediction, I had Watts and Fehoko making it over Loudermilk. At this point, Fehoko, the former Los Angeles Chargers lineman, seems likely to make it. Not only is he listed as the second-string nose tackle behind Adams, but he's proven to be a legitimate run-stopper in the preseason and training camp.
While he's not a starter necessarily, he could provide some value with a few snaps a game. Now, between Loudermilk and Watts, the latter obviously has the edge in experience. Loudermilk has size that cannot be taught, but he looked out of place in his first two NFL years. Furthermore, Watts had an impressive few days of practice within the past few weeks.
It's entirely possible that whoever is cut, either lands on another NFL roster or practice squad. For the first time in awhile though, the Steelers have legitimate NFL-worthy guys all along their defensive line. That should hopefully help for an improved product in 2023.
Who do you think will ultimately make the team along the defensive line? Do you think Benton will start right away in Week 1? Who have you been most impressed with in the team's two preseason games so far? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!
#SteelerNation
