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 originally planned to be reporting day for players to camp. (Contract data courtesy spotrac.com)

The signings of Joe Haden and Steven Nelson have provided the #Steelers with one Dynamic Duo. https://t.co/j9LXS2mi8Q

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) June 7, 2020

CB STEVEN NELSON

Experience: 6th season

Contract status: $7.08 million cap hit in 2020, with one additional year left on deal

2020 outlook: Signed to a $25.5 million contract in March 2019 — the most the Steelers have ever given an acquisition in unrestricted free agency— Nelson lived up to the investment. Along with Joe Haden, the Steelers can feel as if they have a tandem of reliable veteran cornerbacks. After coming over from what was a weak defense (the Kansas City Chiefs), Nelson’s emergence was a pleasant development and played no small role in the ascension of the Steelers defense to one of the best in the NFL last year.

Bottom line: All of a sudden Nelson is playing for a contract extension. If he matches his performance from 2019, he will assuredly ask for a significant raise next offseason. At 27, Nelson has plenty of his prime ahead of him. One nitpick from his 2019? Just one interception after he had four in 2018 for Kansas City. Overall, this coming season will prove if Nelson’s 2019 was an aberration — or if it was a sign Nelson truly is a shutdown-style cornerback.

FB SPENCER NIGH

Experience: Rookie

Contract status: $610,833 cap hit in 2020 as part of three-year undrafted free-agent contract

2020 outlook: Everyone loves a good fullback, especially Steelers fans — and even coach Mike Tomlin, who has consistently kept at least one on the roster throughout his tenure. That was the domain of Roosevelt Nix for the better part of five seasons before his release in March. And although Derek Watt was signed to replace Nix, Nigh was signed as an undrafted free agent the following month.

Bottom line: A rare No. 99 on offense, the 6-foot, 267-pound Nigh became something of a cult hero to Auburn fans — despite a mere three career touches. He fulfilled roles that are a job requirement for any NFL fullback — core special teams duty. But with Watt signed to a $9.75 million contract and no need for a backup fullback, barring injury, Nigh’s chances of sticking on the roster for long appear to be an extreme long shot.

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