The roster bubble is not the place to be. The bulk of the Pittsburgh Steelers 53-man roster is locked in place so there are only a handful of spots up for grabs this season. Here are four veterans on the roster bubble heading into whatever offseason workouts and training camp ends up looking like.
RB | Jaylen Samuels
There might not have been a player more disappointing in 2019 for the Steelers than Samuels. There was a golden opportunity for Samuels to come in and establish himself as a serious weapon in this offense and he couldn’t do it. Now, with the addition of Anthony McFarland Jr., there isn’t room for one running back. If I’m picking right now between Samuels and Kerrith Whyte, I’m keeping Whyte.
S | Marcus Allen
I remember all the excitement surrounding the pick of Allen. He was a local star at Penn State and touted as a big hitter and downhill strong safety. He had the potential to be an enforcer on the back end similar to how Mike Mitchell played. But fast forward to now and the Steelers have drafted Antoine Brooks Jr. which should signal the end for Allen unless he can beat out Jordan Dangerfield on special teams.
WR | Ryan Switzer
This one hurts. I love Switzer as a Steeler. An injury cost him a huge chunk of last season but the reality is his role in the offense is being phased out with the addition of Chase Claypool and the emergence of Diontae Johnson. The Steelers will keep at least five wide receivers but Switzer will need to beat out some quality young talent to hang on.
OL | Derwin Gray
If you forgot Gray was on the team, don’t feel bad. Gray came to the Steelers from Maryland back in 2019. He was waived by the team and later brought back to the practice squad. Gray probably went into the offseason seeing B.J. Finney leave and think he would have a clear path to the backup guard post. Then Kevin Dotson happened and Gray has a fight on his hands.
