Steelers 2-a-days: DB Arthur Maulet a subpackage piece, RB Anthony McFarland looks for role

Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, the Trib will be running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2022 season. The breakdown will go through the roster in mostly-alphabetical order, two per day, between June 11 and July 25. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

DB ARTHUR MAULET

Experience: 6^th season

Contract status: $1.535 million cap hit in 2022, signed through 2023

2022 outlook: Brought in last spring as a bargain free agent signing ($990,000), Maulet proved worth it as a subpackage defender capable of playing different positions. The Steelers showed their appreciation by giving Maulet a two-year deal (and roughly doubling his annual salary) this March.

Maulet was the Steelers’ most-used player as the nickel (slot) corner last year, but there is no guarantee that will be the case again in 2022 because the Steelers over the past two offseasons have given three other cornerbacks multi-year contracts worth higher average annual values. That suggests the plan is that those three (Cameron Sutton, Levi Wallace and Ahkello Witherspoon) handle the bulk of the cornerback duties, with Sutton playing the slot when all three are on the field.

But even if that’s the case, the Steelers in recent seasons have become much more multiple and varied with their personnel packages and looks they give to opponents from their defensive backs. There is a role in there for Maulet somewhere — and that doesn’t even account for possible injury. At his salary, Maulet is a useful piece for new coordinator Teryl Austin to deploy in the secondary.

After an uninspiring rookie season that was followed by an injury-riddled Year 2, Anthony McFarland is out to show he can be a speedy playmaker when he enters his third training camp with the #Steelers next month. https://t.co/QiDycQuguA

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) June 12, 2022

RB ANTHONY MCFARLAND

Experience: 3^rd season

Contract status: $1.075 million cap hit in 2022, signed through 2023

2022 outlook: Last year was supposed to be a breakout for McFarland. Instead, it was a step back. That makes 2022 all the more important for the career prospects of the former fourth-round pick who was supposed to be a speedy playmaker in the offense.

But as a rookie in 2020, McFarland netted just 3.4 yards per carry and 9.0 yards per catch while getting a paltry 39 touches over 11 games. Last season, he had 3 net yards on three carries and one 11-yard catch while making only two appearances. A significant reason for that was a torn MCL suffered late during training camp. But even after his return to the active roster, McFarland was not in uniform for nine of the Steelers’ final 11 games (including playoffs).

What made that especially frustrating to McFarland and the Steelers was that he was beginning to show what the club saw in him during last year’s camp prior to the knee injury. It was clear by the end of the season, though, that the coaches had lost confidence in McFarland by way of them deploying Benny Snell Jr. and Kalen Ballage more often.

In 2022, Snell is back, and intriguing undrafted rookies Jaylen Warren and Mataeo Durant were added to the mix in the competition for whatever scraps are left in terms of playing time for running backs after workhorse starter Najee Harris. McFarland, at least, seems to have the highest ceiling of any of the candidates in regards to playmaking ability. But if doesn’t distinguish himself, McFarland could find himself unemployed.

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