Steelers Who Can Overtake Position Battles vs Bills
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have a few tight position battles as they leave training camp and round of their preseason. And against the Buffalo Bills, at least two players can overtake the player ahead of them in their competition.
Right now, the Steelers' closest battles come at the wide receiver and safety position. Gunner Olszewski has had a very impressive offseason, but if Pittsburgh is keeping him as their third slot option, they'll likely keep another player for the outside and special teams.
The leader in this race likely remains Myles Boykin, who was the favorite coming into the offseason. Cody White has had an impressive training camp, but has made mistakes that could leave him on the outside looking in. But former Tennessee Titan Dez Fitzpatrick is forcing the team's hand to consider him as well.
Fitzpatrick has flashed all offseason, and has been a consistent member of the team when on the field. He's had better days than Boykin, and continued to showcase his capabilities against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He needs a strong special teams outing against the Bills to really take that step forward. It's possible, as he's looked fine during special teams drills and against the Buccaneers.
One or two strong catches and a play on punt coverage and he may be the leader for that final roster spot.
Next is Kenny Robinson. The Wilkinsburg native has made the most of his opportunities this summer, playing well against the Steelers' first-team offense while Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal missed time with injuries.
He's gone quiet as of late, but it's a real possibility he oversteps Miles Killebrew for the final roster spot.
Robinson is like Fitzpatrick - he needs to make plays on special teams, especially in this battle. He's far and beyond the better defensive player, but Killebrew is Pittsburgh's best special teamer.
Robinson has to showcase he can be a force in Danny Smith's group, and if he does, it's going to be nearly impossible for the Steelers to overlook him come roster cuts.
Here's an extra one of the road. Head coach Mike Tomlin said he's excited to see what his backup running backs can do in this game, and chances are he's referring to newly-signed Xazavian Valladay.
The former Arizona State star has an insane resume coming into the NFL, and was viewed as a strong option to make the Houston Texans roster as an undrafted rookie.
Injuries at other positions forced him out of Houston, but Pittsburgh didn't hesitate to bring him in.
Anthony McFarland has all but secured the final running back spot, but with two preseason games remaining, Valladay isn't dead yet.
If he can show that his 16 touchdowns his final college season can translate to the NFL, Pittsburgh will have another RB3 battle on their hands.
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