The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to tweak their roster as training camp progresses and injuries come up. On Thursday, wide receiver Javon McKinley, recently signed by the team, was waived due to injury. In a corresponding move, the team signed a wide receiver with legitimate NFL experience in Christian Blake. Blake spent the first three seasons of his career with the Atlanta Falcons. In those three seasons, he caught 28 passes for 257 yards. He previously spent some time with the Arizona Cardinals this off-season, before they released him just over a week ago.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Blake stands at 6'1", 181 pounds according to his Pro Football Reference profile. He likely comes in as another training camp body, but we have seen multiple signings establish themselves with the Steelers so far. Signed just a week ago, Master Teague III has impressed people in camp with his physicality. Doug Costin is another example, as he's provided another viable option along the defensive line. Costin was originally seen as just a depth addition, but he's proved to be more than that.
Essentially, Blake is working for a practice squad spot though. The top four wide outs are locked into place on the Steelers' 53-man roster. That leaves two spots remaining, with the likes of Anthony Miller, Gunner Olszewski, and Miles Boykin battling it out. Tyler Vaughns has shown some flashes as well, but the other guys' experience give them an edge. Whoever gets cut from those aforementioned three, along with Cody White, will likely end up on the practice squad.
As a result, Blake faces an uphill climb in his time with the black and gold, especially with the season just under a month away. For him though, he's got to just be thankful for another opportunity. McKinley's tenure in Pittsburgh was short-lived, as he suffered an injury in practice. He was the third Notre Dame wide receiver on the team, joining Boykin and Chase Claypool.
Miles Boykin, and Chase Claypool at Notre Dame / Photo (WNDU)
Do you see Christian Blake providing any sort of impact? Who will make the 53-man roster from the Steelers WR group? Let us know your opinions and thoughts in the comment section below, as well as on our social media pages!
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