Kaden Wetjen Robert Spears-Jennings Steelers roster bubble
Kaden Wetjen Robert Spears-Jennings Steelers roster bubble
If it feels like there are more players on the Steelers’ roster bubble this year, that may just be because there are. This team does feel reasonably deep, with some roster decisions that are harder than normal. The quarterback room, in particular, could complicate things if they choose to carry four. Carrying an extra quarterback, they would have to lose a position player elsewhere on the team. So who are the ultimate bubble guys on this year’s team? Both Mark Kaboly and Ray Fittipaldo picked rookies for their choices.
“I’m going something like a Robert Spears-Jennings”, Kaboly said as his roster bubble guy, via the Steelers Collective podcast. “He has proven enough to me to make the roster. However, he is a seventh-round pick and Rayshawn Jenkins is playing pretty decent there, too. So I think they could go either way right there with those two”.
Due to injuries, Spears-Jennings has played a lot of snaps with the first-team defense. He has had good moments in training camp, and seemed to hold his own during the preseason. On top of that, he also has legitimate potential to contribute on special teams. But the Steelers have so much depth elsewhere on the roster, and cornerbacks who can play safety, that a guy like him may well be on the bubble.
The Steelers have Joey Porter Jr.—presumably—Jamel Dean, Jalen Ramsey, Asante Samuel Jr., Daylen Everette, and Brandin Echols at cornerback, though as time goes on, I find myself wondering if Echols might be a player on the Steelers’ roster bubble. At safety, you have DeShon Elliott and Jaquan Brisker, and then at least one of Rayshawn Jenkins or Robert Spears-Jennings. If you choose to keep both, you have to sacrifice somewhere else—like maybe at wide receiver.
“I’m gonna say he’s on the bubble, but his draft status tells me that ultimately he might not be. But Kaden Wetjen, fourth-round pick out of Iowa”, Fittipaldo said of his Steelers roster bubble player. He referred to comments made by Mike McCarthy and his recent fumble and bobbled punt. “Just terrible ball security that you cannot have an NFL returner doing in an NFL game”, he added, saying he has two strikes against him.
The Steelers have certainly moved on from Day 3 picks fairly early before, though the cuts are not always clean. In 2012, fourth-round DL Alameda Ta’amu had a tumultuous rookie season that involved a suspension for drunk driving. 2015 fourth-round CB Doran Grant was not on the 53-man roster for Week 1, though later in the season, they promoted him from the practice squad due to injuries. In 2010, fourth-round OLB Thaddeus Gibson lasted just weeks into his rookie year. Back in 2005, fourth-round WR Fred Gibson didn’t even make the roster at all. A year after that, fourth-round DL Orien Harris only spent a couple months on the practice squad.
If the Steelers leave Kaden Wetjen outside of the roster bubble, I’m sure he is a player they would want to re-sign to the practice squad. Of course, he would have to clear waivers first. It’s possible, but far from a guarantee.