Steelers 2-a-days: Chris Boswell regained form in ‘19, ex-PSU WR Saeed Blacknall joins team

Editor’s note: Leading up to a unique Pittsburgh Steelers training camp staged at Heinz Field this year, the Tribune-Review will be running through the team’s 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2020 season. The breakdown will go through the roster, in mostly alphabetical order, two per day, between June 9 and July 23, a day that was originally planned to be reporting day for players to camp. (Contract data courtesy spotrac.com)

WR SAEED BLACKNALL

Experience: One 2018 game with Oakland, plus practice-squad time the past two seasons, XFL in 2020

Contract status: $610,000 cap hit in 2020, under team control for at least four years

2020 outlook: Blacknall arrived at Penn State as a heralded recruit. He left with the respect of the coaching staff, with some big plays on his resume and having helped turn around the program. But his college production, on whole, was sparse: 50 catches, 979 yards in 47 games. That left him undrafted despite good size (6-foot-2, 208 pounds) and speed (4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash at his Pro Day). Still, he had six touchdown catches of at least 25 yards in college, another (45 yards) during the 2018 preseason and another (42 yards) for the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL this past spring.

In other words, big-play potential is there. The Steelers are enamored by that — think how they’ve kept the likes of Darrius Heyward-Bey and Johnny Holton around. If Blacknall can show he can play special teams, he might have a path to a roster spot. The Steelers’ receiver group is tough to crack, though.

.@EJManuel3 to Saeed Blacknall for the 45-yard @Raiders TD! #OAKvsSEA pic.twitter.com/FE8KEEP0VE

— NFL (@NFL) August 31, 2018

K CHRIS BOSWELL

Experience: Sixth season

Contract status: $2.598 million cap hit in 2020, signed through 2022

2020 outlook: Unlike last year, the Steelers did not bring in competition for Boswell during this offseason and camp. Heading into 2019, a major franchise storyline was Boswell, who had an awful 2018 after he’d made his first Pro Bowl in 2017 and signed a lucrative contract extension soon thereafter. But after missing 12 kicks in 15 games in 2018, Boswell was almost perfect last season. His only misses were on field goals, one from 54 yards and another on a badly bobbled snap. Boswell made 57 of his 59 kicks overall.

Another reason Boswell’s job is secure this year is that it would cost the Steelers more salary cap space to cut him ($5.065 million) than to keep him ($2.59 million). While he’s been well compensated for a specialist, Boswell has been worth it. Aside from his head-scratching 2018, he has been excellent. In his other four seasons for the Steelers, Boswell has made 114 of 126 field goals (90.5%) and 127 of 129 extra points (98.4%). Those are elite figures.

. @KGorman_Trib: Chris Boswell is prepared if this season finale ends the same way it did last year, with the #Steelers kicking a winning field goal for their ninth victory https://t.co/A9EQB8uvGG

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) December 29, 2019

Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.