Steelers announce 2019 practice squad

With the Steelers announcing their squad early for practice, the team has already started solidifying their roster for the upcoming 2019 season. Just like motorsport enthusiasts await for the Daytona 500 Betting, NFL fans await the roster cuts like most holidays. It’s quite interesting to see who makes his best team a 53-man roster and who becomes unemployed or a free agent with the blink of an eye. Here’s a look at the practice squad that the Steelers has unveiled.

The Steelers 2019 Practice Squad

The Steelers practice team includes several friendly faces that remained after the team cut down their roster to include 53 players. Nine players got signed by the team, including four on defense and five on offense. The squad also brought in Christian Scotland-Williamson through the NFL International Player Pathway program. However, he doesn’t count as part of the 10-player limit, and the squad still has a spot open for the practice squad.

On defense, the team brought in defensive backs Trevon Mathis and Marcus Allen, defensive lineman Henry Mondeaux and linebacker Robert Spillane. The Steelers also signed receiver Tevin Jones, running back Trey Edmunds, tight ends Christian Scotland-Williamson and Kevin Rader, and linemen Derwin Grey and Patrick Morris on the offense.

A Closer Look at the Steelers Practice Squad

Marcus Allen joined the Steelers during the fifth round of their NFL draft in 2018 being the 148^th overall pick. He played two games in 2018 during the regular season, making his debut while playing against the LA Chargers on 2^nd December. His teammate, Trey Edmunds finished the 2018 season on the active roster for the Steelers, after spending a significant part of the year on the practice squad.

Selected by the Steelers during the seventh round in the 2019 NFL Draft, Derwin Gray appeared for 35 games in Maryland, where he played and started in 25 of them. On the other hand, Tevin Jones signed a futures/ reserve contract with the Steelers in the offseason. Tevin was on the team’s practice squad in 2018, only two years after making his NFL debut as an undrafted rookie for the Houston Texans.

Right before the beginning of the preseason, the Steelers also signed Trevon Mathis, a Pittsburgh native and former player for the Woodland Hills High School. Trevon originally joined the Minnesota Vikings is a free agent undrafted rookie from Toledo in 2018. However, he recorded 120 tackles, 29 defended passes, one forced fumble, and six interceptions.

Henry Modeaux signed with the squad this offseason, after originally joining the New Orleans Saints in the 2018 NFL Draft. He joined the Saints during the training camp and signed for their practice squad before the final game last season. He’ll be playing alongside offensive lineman Patrick Morris, who was also part of the practice squad for the Steelers in 2018. Morris started in 18 college games, with ten games standing guard and eight playing at the center.

The Steelers signed a future/ reserve contract with Kevin Raider early in this year’s offseason. Raider signed with the Green Bay Packers in 2018 as an undrafted free agent rookie, spending his time with the team on training camp. He spent his collegiate career at Youngstown State, recording 44 receptions in 601 yards with four touchdowns. Other players in the list include former Tennessee Titans’ player Robert Spillane and Christian Scotland-Williamson who was playing for the Worcester Warriors.