The Pittsburgh Steelers set their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday afternoon, but are far from done making edits to the group prior to the team's season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals in 11 days. All NFL teams were required to make the cutdowns Tuesday and there were several guys cut who could be of value and promising additions to the Steelers locker room. Corresponding moves such as placing guys on IR or releasing players are always necessary if a team takes a look at the waiver wire or free agency and it would be no difference here. Head Coach, Mike Tomlin should be interested in these guys who are now in the open market.
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1.) AJ Arcuri, OT
The rookie offensive lineman seemed on pace to make the Los Angeles Rams 53-man roster. He was taken in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft and has performed well throughout training camp and in the preseason. The Rams have a lot of depth at the tackle position and are hoping that the rookie clears waivers so they can bring him back on the practice squad.
Arcuri played both tackle positions at Michigan State and has 40 games of in-game experience to go along with 25 starts. He is a bit older at 25 years of age which may lead to him catching on a bit quicker than a younger lineman who was cut on Tuesday. The Steelers desperately need help and taking a shot on a first-year player who stood out in the preseason is worth taking a look at. He would have made the 53-man roster in Pittsburgh if he were on the team since the beginning of training camp.
Michigan State offensive tackle AJ Arcuri (76) looks on during their spring football practice at their team practice facility in East Lansing, on Tuesday, February 27, 2018. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)
2.) Eric Fisher, OT
Not to beat a dead horse, but the offensive line was horrendous throughout the preseason. Fisher has had some injuries in recent years, but with 128 games of starting experience, the tackle would be an immediate upgrade from Dan Moore Jr. It is unfortunate that Moore showed flashes of being productive last season, but has seemed to regress since his rookie season a year ago.
Fisher may not completely solve the issues on the line, but bringing in a veteran with the ability to make it a little bit easier on whoever is starting at quarterback could be a huge boost. Fisher is 31 years old and wouldn't be considered as a long-term investment, however, that shouldn't change the Steelers' opinion on how productive he has been when healthy. This would be the ultimate low-risk, high-reward move.
3.) RB Trey Sermon
In a surprising move on Wednesday afternoon, the San Francisco 49ers released the second-year running back. Sermon, who was drafted in the third round of last year, only played in nine games last season averaging 4.1 yards per carry. The Steelers have Najee Harris, but Jaylen Warren and Benny Snell Jr. are the only other two running backs on the 53-man roster.
Photo by Michael Zagaris / San Francisco 49ers / Getty Images
The Steelers are more likely, given the franchise's history, to call up Anthony McFarland Jr. from the practice squad if another ball-carrier is needed, but Sermon has a ton of talent. It did not work out for him in Sam Francisco after just one year, but teams will be calling him and it can't hurt Pittsburgh to get on the phone in order to help bolster their running back room.
Who do you think the Steelers should target on the waiver wire? Let us know in the comments below!
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