How many of Arthur Smith’s former players will make the Steelers’ 53-man roster?
As is normal when a team hires a new coordinator, the Steelers have signed a number of players who have previously played for Arthur Smith. None of them are particularly big names, at least at this stage of their careers, but they know his system. To varying degrees at least, they are a bridge in reaching the offensive goals of Smith’s philosophy.
Specifically, the Steelers have four players with a meaningful history with Arthur Smith. All of them played in his offense last year with the Atlanta Falcons, though some have a longer history. All four of them can certainly make the roster, though arguably, one is a “lock”. Let’s get into the names.
The “lock” is the guy the Steelers signed to play on special teams. That is Cordarrelle Patterson, the former wide receiver Smith successfully converted to running back. He is here to be their kick returner, so I’m not worried about his job security.
The Steelers also brought in two wide receivers who played under Smith last season with the Falcons. Neither of them has much history with him, however, especially Van Jefferson. Atlanta traded for him in-season, and he played sparsely. Scotty Miller only played there last year but at least had the full year.
TE MyCole Pruitt has by far the deepest connection with Arthur Smith, going back to Tennessee when he was the Titans’ tight ends coach and later offensive coordinator. Pruitt has spent most of his career working with Smith in some capacity. Some of that time has been on the practice squad, even last year at some points.
Patterson is clearly the third running back right now and should still be safe even if Daijun Edwards pushes forward. The wide receiver position is wide open after George Pickens, but Jefferson is one of the stronger favorites. Pruitt is in one of the deeper positions on the roster—but he also knows Arthur Smith better than anyone.
Sitting here in early July, what is your guess for the number of Arthur Smith players who make the roster? Van Jefferson and Scotty Miller at wide receiver, or one or the other? Can MyCole Pruitt push his way into the tight end room, perhaps with special teams contributions? Cordarrelle Patterson should make the team, but how much of an offensive role will he have?
The Steelers’ 2024 season is approaching, following another disappointing year that culminated in a playoff loss. The only change-up in the annual formula lately is whether they miss the playoffs altogether. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? How will the team continue to address the depth chart?
The Steelers are past free agency and the draft and their roster for the 2024 season is coming into focus. They made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
