The Pittsburgh Steelers are still months away from the start of training camp, but the team is already starting to shape out the final roster.
The Steelers held rookie minicamp this week, giving a host of players a chance to compete for spots on the roster. That also led to one of the team’s first subtractions since the NFL draft, cutting ties with a massive offensive lineman.
Steelers Cut Loose Second-Year Guard
As PennLive.com reported, the Steelers cut former Seattle Seahawks guard Sataoa Laumea this week. The team had signed Laumea to a reserve/futures contract in January, but he didn’t make it to training camp.
Laumea lost his spot to undrafted rookie free agent Greg Crippen, the Michigan center who earned a contract after being invited to rookie minicamp.
“A standout out of Utah in the 2024 NFL Draft, Laumea played offensive tackle and guard throughout the process. He was a sixth-round pick by Seattle and lasted through his entire rookie season with the group.
“Laumea was released in September from the team and promptly landed with the New Orleans Saints for a month, but he was released in October,” the report noted. “The Steelers were the first team to ink Laumea since the Saints released him. He was one of a slew of offensive lineman the Steelers signed to futureâs contracts, including Steven Jones and Doug Nester, who spent their year with the Steelers on the practice squad.”
The 6-foot-4, 319-pound Laumea had played tackle in college before moving over to guard when he reached the NFL.
Laumea was seen as a strong prospect coming out of college, with NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein predicting he could grow into a solid starter in the league.
“Four-year starter with extensive experience at both right guard and right tackle,” Zierlein wrote. “Laumea is a very competent drive blocker and possesses adequate agility and athleticism to get to lateral landmarks on the move. He can get from block to block as a climber and is generally conscientious of his footwork to bolster his success on positional blocks.”
Steelers Have Big Plans for Top Rookie
The Steelers invested some big draft capital in their offensive line, using their first-round pick on tackle Max Iheanachor. As Curt Popejoy of USA Today’s Steelers Wire noted, Iheanachor revealed at rookie minicamp that he has been working exclusively on the right side of the offensive line.
“What this leads us to believe is that if Jones cannot go at the start of the season, the plan is to move starting right tackle Troy Fautanu to left tackle and starting Iheanachor at right tackle,” the report noted. “It’s important to note that Fautanu started 29 games at left tackle at University of Washington.”
The Steelers are looking to shore up protection, though it’s not clear yet who they will be protecting. The team is expected to sign Aaron Rodgers, but the veteran quarterback has yet to ink a new deal to return to Pittsburgh.
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