Will Steelers Keep Kendrick Green on Final Roster?

With cut-downs approaching, the Kevin Dotson trade will have ripple effects across the Steelers’ offensive line room. However, one player that seems stuck on the fence is former third-round pick Kendrick Green. Green did not have a stellar preseason but got the start for the team at right guard against the Atlanta Falcons with a bevy of injuries along the offensive line. Does the Dotson trade essentially lock Green into the final roster?

I will go out on a limb and say no. Kendrick Green has two things going in his direction to make the roster. He is the only player to get significant snaps at center behind Mason Cole this preseason. Spencer Anderson logged a few snaps against Buffalo, while Nate Herbig’s injury forced him to see little game action at center during the preseason. The second would be Green did get the start against Atlanta. That means something at large.

But Mike Tomlin did note that he would be fine going into the regular season with a center who has not played in-game as the backup to Cole. Green’s snapping issues and inconsistent technique continue to riddle his game with massive, gaping holes. When the basics can not get done with Green in the game, Pittsburgh needs to realize the problem at hand. Green’s athleticism still jumps off the page, but that pedigree only carries a guy so far when, three years into his career, he appears as the same player each season.

Between Herbig, Anderson, and even the ancillary chance that James Daniels has a seat in this competition, there will be options for Pittsburgh to consider. That is before the waiver wire comes into play. Pittsburgh could flip another pick to go out and acquire a backup center they fancy. Looking at the team as a whole, the backup center is the team’s biggest problem on the roster, and Omar Khan has shown a relentless appetite to attack every weakness on the roster.

It simply feels hard to trust Green in any capacity at this stage in the game. His game is a proven commodity across three years in the NFL, and this preseason proved that very little has changed. Why should the roster spot be more guaranteed even with one less guard? Pittsburgh has a young player in Anderson and another in Dylan Cook, who started to kick inside during practice and the team’s final two preseason games and outplayed Green during preseason action. For a short-term fix at backup center, look to Herbig. However, a long-term option could be adding an external option.

The unfortunate reality is that Green’s errant snaps, lack of true physical length, and spotty hand usage continue as issues with his game that make him untrustworthy. I still expect Pittsburgh to move on and look elsewhere despite the Dotson trade opening the door for Green ever so slightly.