Steelers Get Some Improved Depth At Safety; Waive Veteran Wide Receiver

The Pittsburgh Steelers made some critical roster moves Tuesday morning, signing a free agent safety that will significantly improve depth at safety, while waiving an injured wide receiver. Jalen Elliott comes to the Steelers as a talented third-year safety with a lot of room to improve. He was most recently on the Las Vegas Raiders, but was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Detroit Lions following the 2020 NFL Draft. 

Elliott had a short but turbulent stint with the Lions, being waived right after their 2020 training camp, but then brought back on a futures deal in 2021. After the 2022 NFL Draft, the Lions let him go again, and he briefly went to the New England Patriots, then to the Raiders. Las Vegas waived him not too long after the 2023 NFL Draft. Already nearing journeyman status, Elliott looks to find a good home in Pittsburgh, where he can play in a crucial depth position for the Steelers. 

Steelers' Safety Absences

The Steelers have been hit with the injury bug early into their training camp, with many key pieces of their defense missing time. Starting safety Damontae Kazee went down earlier in training camp with an apparent ankle injury and continues to be questionable. Second stringer Tre Norwood is also nursing a leg injury, further thinning the depth at safety. Star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick had to briefly step away from the field for personal reasons, but is hopeful he'll be fully back in the days to come. The Steelers are also feeling a pinch at safety after losing long-time starter Terrell Edmunds to the Philadelphia Eagles. 

As unpredictable and crushing as injuries are, especially to skill players like safeties who rely on their speed and footwork, creating as much depth as possible is never a bad idea. Elliott will fit right into the Steelers' defensive back room. Elliott has only played in 8 games over his career, recording 11 tackles with no tackles for loss or interceptions. He'll look to improve those numbers with the Steelers and provide depth to an already strong defensive back squad. 

Hoping for Strong Development 

"Iron sharpens iron" has seemingly been the theme for the Steelers during training camp, and hopefully this idealism can be used for Elliott. As a young, impressionable player, Elliott still has his best years to come and now has the opportunity to learn under one of the best players at his position in Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick looks to build off an already impressive resume in 2023. He tied the league lead for interceptions in the 2022 season (6) while also recording 56 tackles and 11 passes defended. Fitzpatrick has a key role for the Steelers in 2023, pairing with Kazee to lead a young group of defensive backs and help them learn the ropes of playing in the NFL, continuing Pittsburgh's legendary stifling defense. 

Waiving Counterpart

To be able to fit Elliott on the Steelers roster, Pittsburgh waived wide receiver Ja'Marcus Bradley. Bradley was most recently on the Cleveland Browns, where he appeared in 8 games with 1 start. In those games, he recorded a total of 9 receptions for 124 yards. Bradley suffered his injury during the Steelers' 2023 Friday Night Lights practice. The injury he sustained remains undisclosed, but it seems that it was significant enough that it would greatly affect his availability coming into the 2023 season. If Bradley clears waivers, he will be sent to the injured reserve list. The Steelers already have a very strong wide receiver core, led by George Pickens and Diontae Johnson, who continue to impress during training camp and look to prove that they are one of the top wide receiver duos in the NFL. 

How do you think Jalen Elliott will do on the Steelers? Will Pittsburgh miss Bradley at wide receiver? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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