Steelers Announce First Chunk Of Roster Cuts Including A Promising Running Back

The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially wrapped up their preseason and will quickly turn their focus towards their season opener against the Atlanta Falcons. First, Head Coach Mike Tomlin and General Manager Omar Khan will put their finishing touches on the final roster - which includes trimming it down to just 53 players. Pittsburgh must get their roster down by 4 PM ET on Tuesday, and they began by releasing nine players early Monday morning. 

All 32 teams in the NFL go through the same struggle right before the regular season when they have to part ways with many players that were with the team throughout the offseason. Fans will finally get a good glimpse of what the final roster will look like. Pittsburgh started to move on from players on Sunday, when they announced that wide receiver TJ Luther was released. Pittsburgh then announced the release of seven others on Monday.

The most notable name that has been released thus far is perhaps undrafted running back Daijun Edwards. Pittsburgh signed him out of Georgia following the 2024 NFL Draft. He was always a long shot to make the team due to the crowded running back room. The offseason signing of Cordarrelle Patterson left little room for the Steelers to keep any additional running backs, as Patterson's versatility is something that no other player can match.

Edwards showed out in the Steelers' first preseason game against the Houston Texans, as he averaged over nine yards per carry and found the end zone. He is an interesting name that will hit waivers for any teams that need some help in the backfield. Another interesting name Pittsburgh parted with is tackle Tyler Beach. Beach is nothing more than a depth player, but the Steelers are fairly beat up at tackle and depth at the position is exactly what they need. Their most healthy tackle is Dan Moore Jr., and both Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu are dealing with minor injuries.

Pittsburgh is also releasing cornerback Kyler McMichael, which was announced separately and was originally reported by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Cornerback is another position the Steelers have questionable depth at, but McMichael was buried in the depth chart. This is a spot the Steelers may look to add some external help at, especially once more names become available as roster cuts continue throughout the league. Pittsburgh still has some more work to do as the deadline approaches on Tuesday.

Steelers Could Still Bring Back Released Players

Once a player is released after the preseason, they will go on waivers. If they clear waivers, the Steelers can choose to bring them back on to the practice squad. Each organization has 16 spots on the practice squad, and it is a valuable tool for teams as they prepare for opponents and battle through injuries during the season. Edwards will be an interesting name to watch. If he clears waivers, he will be a good player for the Steelers to have in their back pocket, especially with Jaylen Warren already dealing with a hamstring issue.

Pittsburgh doesn't usually keep many running backs going into the regular season, mainly due to the durability and production from Najee Harris. Pair that with Warren and Patterson, and they are fairly set at the position. These guys go through the ringer as the season goes on, so Edwards will be a prime practice squad candidate if he manages to clear waivers. The same goes for the other players released.

What do you think about these cuts? Are any surprising? Let us know in the comments below!

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