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 2019 season. The breakdown will go through the roster in mostly-alphabetical order, (at least) two per day, between June 14 and July 26.
WR TREY GRIFFEY
Experience: Cut by Dolphins at the end of rookie 2017 camp, 2018 on Steelers practice squad
Contract status: $495,000 cap hit in 2019, remains under Steelers contractual control
2019 outlook: His name recognition might trump everyone on the Steelers roster, Ben Roethlisberger included. But the only people the son of Ken Griffey Jr. needs to make remember his name are Steelers coaches. He did that last year at this time, earning a practice-squad spot and holding it all season. But can he do it again? The numbers game isn’t pretty for wide receivers at the bottom of the depth chart. But Griffey, by all indications, is a likeable and hard-working piece of the locker room who embraced his scout-team role in 2018. That gives him an early leg up heading into Latrobe.
Trey Griffey, The Kid's kid, trying to make name for himself as a wide receiver with the #Steelers
(Via TribLive) https://t.co/gMNaxkmyF6
TE XAVIER GRIMBLE
Experience: 4th season on active roster after spending two seasons on practice squads
Contract status: $2.025 million cap hit in 2019, after which will be an unrestricted free agent
2019 outlook: It was Grimble’s fumble in Denver last year that accounted for the turning point of a Steelers season that went sour fast. But with that in the past, 2019 is a season of great opportunity for Grimble. He’s in a contract year, and he’s penciled in to have his highest-profile role yet. With the offseason departure of Jesse James, Grimble slides up to No. 2 on the tight end depth chart. And with Vance McDonald’s injury history, that suggests Grimble might play a significant role. Then again, the Steelers have already been connected to outside tight ends, and they have a history of bringing in a veteran at the position late in camp. In short, Grimble’s season could pivot dramatically to either extreme, and that could have a major impact on his future earnings. Arguably, no player on the roster has more on the line these next several weeks.
Hate to see it. Xavier Grimble fumbles out of the back of the endzone. Broncos ball. pic.twitter.com/DTLwuoaVFv
— 360°FantasyFootball (@360FFB) November 25, 2018
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