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.
DT MONTRAVIUS ADAMS
Experience: 6th NFL season
Contract status: $1.77 million cap hit in 2022 after signing a two-year contract in March
2022 outlook: After four seasons with the Green Bay Packers as part of their defensive line rotation, Adams was allowed to leave via free agency in 2021. But four months after signing with the New England Patriots, Adams was cut in September. Then, after appearing in five games with the New Orleans Saints last year, he was cut again. Desperate for help on the defensive line as the calendar was flipping to December, the Steelers brought Adams in.
They immediately gave him a role, and the 6-foot-3, 340-pound Adams responded with arguably the best football he’s played as a pro. Adams showed enough over a six-game tenure (including playoffs) with the Steelers that they brought him back with a $5 million contract in the spring. While much needs to play out along the Steelers’ defensive line, Adams likely is line for a super-utility role as the top backup at almost every spot. He also could end up the No. 1 nose tackle.
Montravius Adams, newly signed to an extension, on if he’s been told what his role will be this coming season pic.twitter.com/poT0LO7JJY
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) March 22, 2022
S MARCUS ALLEN
Experience: 4th accrued NFL season
Contract status: $2.54 million cap hit in 2022, free agent after season
2022 outlook: The Steelers showed they think a lot of Allen by tendering him at the $2.54 million it was required to hold his rights as a restricted free agent this spring. This after he appeared in all but one of the Steelers’ 18 games (including playoffs) last season — and that one absence was only because of a stint on the NFL covid-19 list. A fifth-round pick as a safety out of Penn State in 2018, Allen appeared in only three games the first two seasons after joining the Steelers.
But since moving to inside linebacker during the 2020 training camp, Allen has made three starts and appeared in all but three of the Steelers’ 35 games. He’s become a core special-teamer and subpackage defender. Though his non-guaranteed salary figure could put Allen in danger of being cut prior to the season if younger (cheaper) players step up, bet on one of the locker room’s loudest voices making the team because he’s too valuable to special teams coordinator Danny Smith’s units.
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