The Pittsburgh Steelers safety room and its depth was one of the strengths of the team heading into the preseason. Since then, three core depth contributors, Miles Killebrew, Karl Joseph, and Damontae Kazee, have suffered injuries. That's left the safety group a bit thinner than before, as it was announced after Sunday's game that Kazee needs surgery on his arm.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
That'll land him on Injured Reserve, and it's unknown whether or not he'll return to action this season. That comes as quite the loss for this group, as he was going to see the field quite a bit as the team's third safety behind Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds.
The team signed Elijah Riley, formerly of the New York Jets, just a few days ago. He now has a chance at making the 53-man roster, but there will likely be better options in free agency with roster cuts the next two days. One of those options has already emerged, as it was announced by PFF's Ari Meirov that the Philadelphia Eagles have released veteran Jaquiski Tartt.
The #Eagles have informed veteran safety Jaquiski Tartt that he is being released, per @caplannfl. Tartt signed with Philadelphia this offseason after seven years in San Francisco, but he'll now look to latch on elsewhere.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 29, 2022
Rumors began last week in regards to the status of Tartt's chances of making the Eagles' 53-man roster. After seven seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Tartt signed with the Eagles back in June. He's made 64 starts in seven seasons, including starting all 14 games that he was available for last season.
He would present as a perfect replacement for Kazee, as he could step up and fill in as the team's No. 3 safety immediately. Like Kazee, Tartt isn't afraid to do the dirty work and provide some physicality on the back end of the secondary. While it's a little concerning that he couldn't make it in a relatively thin safety room in Philadelphia, he still presents as a better player than a guy like Elijah Riley.
As for the kind of money that Tartt would require, it would be very minimal. His deal with the Eagles was for one year and up to $2.5 million. The base salary was just over $1 million, so the Steelers wouldn't have to pay much of anything to bring in Tartt. With that being said, they would still have to battle other teams for his services. Additionally, they wouldn't be able to offer a starting job like some other teams may be willing to do.
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If not for Tartt, the team will likely still add a safety in the next few days. Ashtyn Davis could be another potential name to watch, as it seems the Jets may cut ties with him. A third-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, Davis started 10 games at safety in 2021. He has the talent and could be another phenomenal option for the Steelers to fulfill that third safety role.
What are your thoughts on the current state of the safety room? Will they add another safety and if so, who would you want them to add? Would Tartt be a good addition to the team? Let us know your thoughts ahead of Tuesday's final roster cuts by commenting below. Be sure to interact with our social media sites as well!
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