This preseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense has garnered quite a bit of attention. That's because quarterback Kenny Pickett has scored a touchdown on every drive he's been on the field for through their three games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills, and Atlanta Falcons. The Steelers gave Pickett as much help as possible this offseason to ensure he has everything he needs to succeed as a sophomore in the NFL.
Tuesday is the deadline for all 32 teams to trim their rosters down to 53 players. With that, there will be a flurry of announcements regarding who was released from their respective teams. Also, that opens up the opportunity for trades to be made, as a team could call another to acquire a player they want to add to their 53-man roster.
On Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams gave the Steelers a call to acquire offensive guard Kevin Dotson. The deal was completed, as both teams swapped picks in 2024 and 2025, per Brooke Pryor of ESPN. The Rams get the Steelers' 2024 fifth-round and 2025 sixth-round picks. The Steelers get the 2024 fourth-round and 2025 fifth-round picks.
With Dotson heading to Los Angeles, this may have increased the odds of an offensive lineman making the 53-man roster -- Kendrick Green.
Steelers trade of Kevin Dotson may have increased odds of Kendrick Green making the team
Green may have a better shot of making it onto Pittsburgh's 53-man roster for their Week 1 game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Athletic's Mark Kaboly mentions that Green's chances of making the team have increased now than before the trade of Dotson.
Green was a third-round pick by the Steelers in 2021 and was primarily used during his rookie season as a center. He played 15 games that year but didn't log a snap in a single game in 2022.
During training camp, the Steelers used Green as a guard, the position he played in college for the Illinois Fighting Illini. Not to mention, there were times during team practices in which Green lined up at fullback, caught some passes, and lit up defenders trying to stop him. His play in the preseason was a mixed bag. Green was lined up as the right guard in the starting lineup for their preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons before switching to center.
The Steelers have their top guards on the roster in Isaac Seumalo, Nate Herbig, and James Daniels, so there were only so many spots available. It seems like the Rams' offer for Dotson was too good for the Steelers to pass on. While this is good news for Green, it's not exactly a lock that he will make the roster. We will wait until the Steelers officially announce their 53-man roster after the Tuesday deadline.