The Pittsburgh Steelers have waived offensive lineman Lecitus Smith just two months after claiming him. Pittsburgh cleared an offseason roster spot with the move Tuesday, one week ahead of the start of voluntary OTAs.
Pittsburgh claimed Smith March 24 after he waived by the New England Patriots. Smith, 26, has appeared in 18 NFL games with three starts. A sixth-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2022, Smith appeared in ten games for the team with two starts as a rookie. After being waived the following summer, he spent time with the Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles, and Green Bay Packers before landing with the Patriots in 2024.
Last season, Smith appeared in eight games with one start for the Patriots. He logged 15 total offensive snaps with another 28 on special teams. Throughout his career, he’s served as an interior offensive lineman seeing time at both guard spots and center.
As our Jonathan Heitritter wrote Tuesday morning, the Steelers’ offensive line depth is far weaker this year than it was a year ago. The interior line is stronger than tackle with Spencer Anderson and Ryan McCollum as the top backups. At tackle, veteran Calvin Anderson is currently the team’s No. 3 while Dylan Cook and rookie Gareth Warren will fight for one of the final spots on the 53-man roster.
Pittsburgh could spend the rest of the offseason looking to add additional offensive line depth. However, the free agent pool of names is weak. Former Cleveland Browns first round pick Jedrick Wills is the top available name at offensive tackle, though he had a failed four seasons and struggled to stay in the lineup towards the end of his Browns’ career.
With Lecitus Smith’s release, the Steelers have two open spots on their offseason roster. Because of EDGE Julius Welschof’s international exemption, Pittsburgh can carry up to 91 players this spring and summer. Presumably, one spot is earmarked for QB Aaron Rodgers, though the Steelers don’t seem to be in a hurry to set a deadline for him to sign.
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