4 PLAYERS WHO I THINK THAT COULD FIND THEMSELVES JOBLESS IN CAMP

The Pittsburgh Steelers have more depth than they know what to do with, meaning they’re going to have to find someone to take the hit when roster cuts come around.

The quarterback battle, safety position and outside linebackers headline Steelers training camp in 2018. Oh, and the fact that Le’Veon Bell isn’t going to be around. But throughout the whole roster, players are going to fight hard trying to lock in their name to the final 53-man roster before Week 1.

On both sides of the ball, Pittsburgh has veterans who are getting passed up by a younger crowd of players. The talent level for every position is strong, meaning the team has their choices when it comes to who to keep.

This means there’s plenty of excitement for fans moving forward. Seeing who stays and who goes is already intriguing during camp. For Pittsburgh, it’s usually pretty calm and predictable, but this season, anyone could be on their way out.

Winning a Super Bowl takes a perfect roster, and the Steelers are going to make the adjustments needs to create their version of a winning 53-man squad.

DANIEL MCCULLERS

Daniel McCullers has been on his way out of Pittsburgh for the last two years. Signing a one-year deal with the team this offseason doesn’t mean much. Now, competing with Joshua Frazier to play behind Javon Hargrave, the team will have a reason to move on from the inside lineman.

He just hasn’t met the level of play he should’ve throughout his career. Last season, he put up one tackle in five games and the year before that, 17 in a whole season.

The additions of Tyson Alualu and Frazier are going to be too much to keep him around. Therefore, he’ll be one of the first to go when the team starts making cuts. As long as he proves he can be a quality backup in someone else’s camp, he should have a job in 2018. But judging from his time in Pittsburgh, his NFL career may be on the backend.

DARRIUS HEYWARD-BEY

A lot of Heyward-Bey’s chances rely on the return of Eli Rogers. So far, there has been back and forth talk about whether or not he’ll return to Pittsburgh. His ACL recovery is going smoothly and teams will be intrigued to see what he brings to camp.

The Steelers may be looking to add him to the roster before the preseason. He’s been a reliable option for the offense and is one of Ben Roethlisberger’s favorite targets over the middle.

If he returns, there won’t be enough room for him, Justin Hunter and Heyward- Bey. Hunter is proving himself for the second straight offseason and that’s going to land him a spot on the active roster. From there, it’ll go down to the final two receivers and if Rogers is around, Heyward-Bey won’t be needed.

His special teams impact is going to be cut with the addition of Nat Behr, leaving him with little chance of sticking around. The team just doesn’t need him as much as they did and he’ll take a hit because of it.

JOSH DOBBS

You can’t leave a quarterback out of this conversation. Josh Dobbs is the fourth guy as of right now, and unless something drastic changes, the Steelers won’t be looking to keep him moving forward.

He was a pick with a lot of upside, but as soon as Mason Rudolph joined the mix his place in Pittsburgh was no longer needed. This team doesn’t want someone who can compete with Rudolph when Ben leaves. They want someone to play behind him, and Landy Jones is a proven backup.

Dobbs isn’t ready to be a number two guy just yet and the team won’t be willing to part ways with a reliable backup for a hit-or-miss quarterback. He’ll find a job somewhere else, but Pittsburgh isn’t his NFL future.

STEVAN RIDLEY

No one is talking about any running backs outside of James Conner and Jaylen Samuels, leaving the rest of the pack out of a job come August. Ridley had promise and there was a need for him when the team signed him last season. Bringing him back was more of a precaution and now that there’s already two running backs behind Le’Veon Bell, there’s no need for anyone else.

Even if Bell doesn’t show up until Week 1, Ridley isn’t someone who’s going to stay on the roster. He won’t be a practice squad player, leaving him a free agent before the season starts. At 29-years-old, he could still find a job somewhere.

He’s a productive back in the league. Everywhere he’s gone he’s made noise and there isn’t much doubt he can continue to be a quality backup in the NFL. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh has too many running backs to need Ridley, but some NFL team should want to add him to their roster.