Player: S Sebastian Castro
Stock Value: Purchased
Reasoning: The Steelers didn’t hesitate to put in a waiver claim for S Sebastian Castro, whom they signed this offseason as a college free agent. Having spent the early portions of the season on the practice squad, Castro signed with the Buccaneers to their 53. Pittsburgh was surely paying attention, though, hoping Tampa might let him go again. They reportedly intended to re-sign him to their practice squad, so the Steelers signed him to their 53. In a corresponding move, they waived veteran S Juan Thornhill, whose play was not “up to snuff”.
A select minority of Steelers fans will potentially exaggerate the due excitement over the Steelers bringing back Sebastian Castro. A hard-hitting safety and special teamer, he certainly played his heart out this offseason. There’s a reason they kept him on the 53-man roster and hoped he would stay there all year long.
Even though he is back, however, it’s hard to say Castro will even dress for a single game. He certainly could, don’t get me wrong, if they want to get him involved in special teams. But with Jalen Ramsey, Kyle Dugger, Chuck Clark, and Jabrill Peppers, he’s not going to play safety.
Now, you never know how his career might develop over the course of time, naturally. Sebastian Castro could certainly could carve out a role for himself in the NFL eventually. For the time being, he needs an opportunity to grow and develop. Such players are ideally suited to an active role on special teams in the early goings.
The Steelers have faced some attrition at safety since Sebastian Castro left. They lost special teams ace Miles Killebrew, which is the move that most affects Castro. Then they lost starter DeShon Elliott, also likely for the season. With Juan Thornhill struggling and not an option on special teams, Pittsburgh felt comfortable letting him go and bringing the rookie back. Rejoice now, though, because it might be the last time you hear his name for a while. Unless he dresses for special teams, which is a distinct possibility.
With regular season underway and the roster in place, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of thatchange the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract. Oh, and they also traded some guy named George Pickens, which people found significant.
After a long offseason, we finally know what this Steelers team will look like for the 2025 season. The dust is long settled on both free agency andthe 2025 NFL Draft, and now we’re into the real thing . What final moves might the team make, if any? They’ve certainly made a flurry of moves, though some question whether they make much difference. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
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