Pittsburgh Steelers Announce Final Roster Cuts To 53

With the Pittsburgh Steelers wrapping up their preseason schedule last Thursday the team has had several days to make the determination on who they want to release and who they want to keep on their 53-man roster. It's surely been a whirlwind for many fringe roster players as they wait to see if their phone rings with the dreaded news that they haven't made the team. Beginning on Saturday the team started to announce different roster moves. While the fact that Kevin Dotson, and Kendrick Green are no longer on the roster isn't a surprise, it is surprising that they were both traded away for compensation.

Dotson was sent to the Los Angeles Rams in a package that saw the Steelers send their 2024 5th round pick, and their 2025 6th round pick in exchange for the Rams 2024 4th round pick, and their 2025 5th round pick. For as good as that was for Dotson, General Manager Omar Khan pulled off another miracle by getting back a 2025 6th round pick for Green from the Houston Texans. While Dotson had some value as depth on the Steelers offensive line it was clear that he just had overstayed his welcome in Pittsburgh. Green on the other hand was mostly a lost cause after then General Manager Kevin Colbert drafted Green in the third round to be a center after mostly playing guard in college. 

Steelers Begin Cuts With Little Surprises

The first round of cuts came on Saturday with cornerback Madre Harper, defensive back Nevelle Clarke, defensive lineman James Nyamawaya, kicker B.T. Potter, linebackers Kuony Deng, Forrest Rhyne, long snapper Rex Sunahara, and wide receiver Dan Chisena. From there they waived veteran linebacker Tanner Muse, cornerback Lavert Hill, defensive lineman Manny Jones, linebacker Toby Ndukwe, offensive linemen Le'Raven Clark, and William Dunkle, quarterback Tanner Morgan, running back Darius Hagans, and safeties Kenny Robinson, and Jalen Elliott on Monday. 

Robinson, and Muse were surprises in some regard. Muse was signed from Seattle to help ease the loss of several special team standouts. But the addition of Kwon Alexander to the inside linebacker room left a little too many capable defensive inside linebackers to keep a spot for Muse. 

Robinson signed with the Steelers after having an excellent season in the XFL. With Minkah Fitzpatrick gone dealing with a personal matter, and Damontae Kazee missing significant time at the beginning of training camp Robinson was able to put on a good showing during training camp. But after a solid beginning Robinson began to not stand out as much. That paired with being outperformed by Trenton Thompson in game situation made Robinson expendable. 

Prior to the 4pm Tuesday deadline the team also released tight end Zach Gentry, and center Ryan McCollum. Gentry was brought back after spending a month as a free agent in April. But the addition of Darnell Washington paired with the continued growth of Connor Heyward allowed the team to save a roster spot after it was originally believed the team would keep four. The play of Rodney Williams at the tight end spot behind all of those guys also can't be discredited. While Williams was released it's likely he will be someone the team targets for the practice squad. 

As of a few minutes ago the team announced the following roster moves to get down to the 53-man mark. But don't think for a minute that all of the players not on this list are safe. It's very likely that the team will add multiple players during the next few days. Someone like James Pierre could be replaced by a veteran or a possibly a younger player with more upside.

Final Releases For Steelers 

--- cornerbacks Luq Barcoo, Chris Wilcox, defensive lineman Breiden Fehoko, Jonathan Marshall, linebackers Nick Kwiatkoski, David Perales, Quincy Roche, running backs Greg Bell, Xazavian Valladay, safety Trenton Thompson, Tre Norwood, tight end Rodney Williams, and wide receivers Jordan Byrd, and Dez Fitzpatrick. 

One of the most interesting decisions was the Steelers choice to keep both punters on the active roster. This likely means the team believes they can work out a trade for Braden Mann. The Eagles currently are in big time need of a punter and the Steelers decided they just didn't want to give them one for free. The Eagles originally tried to claim Mann on waivers, but the Steelers had higher priority. 

The team ultimately decided to keep Armon Watts over Fehoko in the defensive line battle. Watts and Fehoko were both signed as free agents earlier this offseason.

What do you think of the Steelers initial 53 man roster? Let us know in the comments below!

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