GM’s trade record keeps young players wary
One of the most important jobs of a general manager during the NFL salarycap era is finding players from other rosters in August and September to help strengthen their 53- man roster. More than half the Steelers salary cap is tied up in their 10 highest- paid players.
That means general manager Kevin Colbert has to get creative when it comes to filling in holes on his roster.
Colbert and his staff try to build depth in the winter by signing free agents and again in the spring through the draft and more undrafted free agents from the college ranks. But it’s nearly impossible to create quality depth with young players that have no or limited NFL playing experience.
Sometimes, it’s necessary to bring in a veteran player to bolster depth at positions of need.
And Colbert hasn’t been shy about upgrading the roster through trades in recent years. Since 2015, he has made 10 trades in August or early September in an effort to improve the team.
In 2015, Colbert traded a fifth- round pick to Philadelphia for cornerback Brandon Boykin, who served as the slot corner for most of that season.
In 2016, Colbert once again tried to improve his secondary when he traded a sixth- round pick to Cleveland for cornerback Justin Gilbert.
The next summer was Colbert’s busiest. He made five trades in the span of 12 days and also signed cornerback Joe
Haden, who was released by Cleveland. The most significant trade that summer brought tight end Vance McDonald and a fifth- round pick from San Francisco for a fourth- round pick.
Last summer, unhappy with his depth at receiver and in the return game, Colbert dealt a fifth- round pick to Oakland for Ryan Switzer.
Only one of those trades ( Boykin) came early in training camp. The others took place in late August or early September. This is why the next few weeks are so important for young players vying for roster spots.
Colbert and the coaches are watching. The first preseason game is Friday night against Tampa Bay at Heinz Field. Only six practices remain at Saint Vincent College. The opportunities are dwindling for young players to make an impression, especially those at positions where the Steelers lack depth.
Here are the positions Colbert could look to upgrade:
Tight end: When asked last week about the competition at tight end and whether anyone was standing out, coach Mike Tomlin said: “I like Vance McDonald, but you guys know that.” That’s not exactly an endorsement for veteran Xavier Grimble and rookie Zach Gentry. McDonald is the starter and projects to be a big part of the offense, but Grimble and Gentry need to prove they can handle the workload as reserves. Grimble has been on the roster since 2016, but he has never been anything other than the third tight end. He’s vying to be the top backup to McDonald now after Jesse James signed as a free agent in Detroit. Grimble has been a reliable player for the Steelers. Since 2016, he has played in 44 of a possible 48 games, including all 16 last season. But he’s not a lock to earn the backup job. The Steelers love to use twotight end formations and Grimble has to show he’s ready to play more than before. Gentry, the third pick of the fifth round, still is learning how to play tight end after beginning his college career at Michigan as a quarterback. James, a fifthround pick in 2015, didn’t dress for his first NFL game until November of his rookie season. It’s probably not fair to expect much more from Gentry. Kevin Rader, Trevor Wood and Christian Scotland-Williamson are better candidates for the practice squad than the 53- man roster.
Safety: Sean Davis’ finger injury has allowed the coaches to take a long look at Kameron Kelly, who has been taking the first- team reps at free safety in Davis’ absence. Defensive backs coach Teryl Austin said there has been “good and bad” with Kelly and the other young safeties, such as P. J. Locke and Dr avon Askew- Henry, who have been getting second- and third- team reps. Jordan Dangerfield made the 53man roster last year as a reserve safety, and he’s likely to make the team again because he’s a good specialteams player. Kelly and the others will get plenty of opportunities during the preseason games to make the team, but none of them has played in an NFL game. That could be problematic for the Steelers if Davis suffers an injury in the regular season.
Punter: The place- kicking competition between Chris Boswell and Matthew Wright has garnered most of the attention in camp, but Jordan Berry and Ian Berryman have been staging their own punting competition, as well. It was only four years ago that Colbert flipped Brad Wing to the New York Giants for a seventh- round pick in favor of keeping Berry. Wing had been the incumbent starter. If Berry and Berryman aren’t good over the next few weeks, Colbert could be looking to strike a deal with a team that is stocked with punting depth.
Injuries could create other needs, but the Steelers are deep at offensive line and receiver and appear to have adequate depth at linebacker and on the defensive line.
Right now, Colbert has six picks in the draft next year because he traded a 2020 third- round pick as part of the deal to land linebacker Devin Bush in the draft. Colbert, however, has been on record saying he expects to recoup a draft pick with a compensatory pick ( likely in the third round) for losing Le’Veon Bell as a free agent. That would leave him with seven picks, which is more than enough to make a deal if the need arises.