The Pittsburgh Steelers made a pair of surprising cuts recently. They let go of Denzel Mims, a receiver that spent a lot of time on the team's practice squad during the 2023 season, and Trenton Thompson, a safety that provided much-needed depth for the team while Damontae Kazee was suspended and both Minkah Fitzpatrick and Keanu Neal were dealing with injuries. While they were shocking moves, Steeler Nation has been waiting to see if those moves signify a larger plan.
To replace Mims, the Steelers signed Jacob Copeland, an undrafted free agent from 2023 that has bounced around from team to team. He was most recently signed to a futures contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, but he was cut in the beginning of May. Now, he finds himself a new home in the Steel City.
The Steelers did have Copeland on their practice squad during the 2023 season. He had two separate stints with the team, but he never got elevated to the main roster. In fact, he never took any snaps at all during 2023. With a weak receiving core, Copeland will be looking to force his way onto the roster, even if it means he has to go back to the team's practice squad.
Steelers Look For Hidden Gem In The Waiver Wire
After being cut by the Atlanta Falcons, the Steelers claimed Willington Previlon off of waivers. Like with Copeland, Previlon has not played a snap in his NFL career. That is more concerning in his case, as he is already 27 years old. He spent the 2023 season on the practice squad for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He practiced with the Falcons for most of the summer, but he was waived shortly after Organized Team Activities (OTAs) ended for the summer.
As opposed to filling in the safety spot that Thompson had, the team chose to grab Previlon, who is a defensive tackle. Ryan Watts has been reportedly working out at safety, and the team must really believe in his ability to develop behind Fitzpatrick, Kazee, and DeShon Elliott. It's definitely an interesting decision to see the Steelers cut a key depth piece in favor of a rookie before training camp starts, but if Watts does develop well, no one will complain.
