Steelers Cut Kicker McCrane, Ex-AAF DB Tocho

The Steelers released kicker Matt McCrane and defensive back Jack Tocho on Thursday, opening roster spots ahead of their rookie minicamp and signaling at least a bit of faith in kicker Chris Boswell.

McCrane, who was signed by the Steelers at the end of the 2018 season after Boswell was placed on the injured reserve list, was 3 for 3 on field goals in his lone game with Pittsburgh.

The 24-year-old McCrane is a Kansas State grad and also spent time with the Arizona Cardinals and Oakland Raiders in his rookie season.

Boswell, who is entering the first season of a four-year, $16.8 million contract extension that was signed before the 2018 season, is coming off his worst year statistically with the Steelers.

In 2018, he hit 13 of 20 field goals overall, and 65% success rate was next-to-last in the league.

The Steelers will still have some competition for Boswell this summer, as they singed Matthew Wright as an undrafted free agent just after the draft. Wright spent the last four years at UCF, where he made 77.5% of his field goals.

Tocho, 23, signed with the Steelers after the AAF folded. He had been playing with the Birmingham Iron. The former seventh round pick of Minnesota spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons on practice squads of the Vikings and Washington Redskins.

The Steelers will have their first-year players, draft picks, undrafted rookies free agents, and tryouts at rookie camp at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side this Friday through Sunday.