It has felt like this was coming for weeks but the Pittsburgh Steelers have finally released wide receiver Donte Moncrief. To replace Moncrief on the 53-man roster, the Steelers have promoted Tony Brooks-James to bolster depth at running back versus the Indianapolis Colts.
Moncrief was signed in the offseason to be a reliable veteran presence. Unfortunately he is has been unable to crack the lineup often and when he did, he struggled to catch the football. The release of Moncrief should allow the Steelers to recoup a third-round compensatory draft pick for 2020.
The promotion of Brooks-James doesn’t bode well for the run game. James Conner was listed as doubtful but isn’t likely to dress now. This means it will be Jaylen Samuels as the starter getting the vast majority of the reps. Along with Brooks-James, Pittsburgh has Trey Edmunds as a backup to Samuels.
