Some of the guys on the edge of the roster, especially at offensive lineman, will likely be fighting for practice squad spots rather than roster spots in training camp. That is because, for the Steelers, their offensive line is pretty much set in stone already. That leaves guys like Tyler Beach on the outside of the nine-man rotation that the team will likely carry into the regular season.
Beach, a Wisconsin product, signed with the Texans as an undrafted free agent following the 2022 NFL Draft. He played in all three of their preseason games but failed to make the team’s final roster. He sat at home until December when the Steelers came calling.
“I had workouts with the Steelers early in December and got the call that they were interested in me, so I signed with them,” Beach told SteelersTakeaways in an interview. “It’s a great organization with a great history. My dad is a huge Steelers fan, even though he lives in Ohio so I thought that was really cool. Just the tradition and culture they have there and everything Mike (Tomlin) has done there. It’s an historic organization.”
A year after being cut by the Texans, Beach is in a similar situation with the Steelers. Despite that, Beach is doing everything that he can in order to make the Steelers or any other roster in the NFL. His number one go-to source of information and guidance is his Wisconsin brethren.
“There are a lot of Wisconsin guys in the NFL and they always have great ideas and opinions that they share with me,” Beach said.
Another thing that Beach has going for him is his versatility. He played all over the offensive line in college and managed to show that versatility off in last year’s preseason with the Texans. In college, Beach started 19 games at left tackle, seven at right tackle and three as a jumbo tight end.
Then in the preseason with the Texans, Beach played 55 snaps at left tackle, 28 snaps at right tackle and six at right guard.
“I moved around a lot in college. I started off at left tackle, then right tackle, then back to left tackle, then left guard, I played all of those spots in the NFL now as well with the Texans,” Beach said. “You can get comfortable on one side then move to the other side, and there can be some hinges there when that happens. … You just have to understand that and remember what side you’re on. I’ve seen guys go the wrong direction because they weren’t used to being on the other side.”
While he is unlikely to actually suit up for the Steelers in a regular season game, at least anytime soon, Beach is studying the Steelers new offensive scheme and said it is similar to what he did at Wisconsin.
“At Wisconsin we were run-heavy, we probably ran 67% of the time so that’s not a big adjustment for me,” Beach said. “Running well means the team is doing well so I like that.”
The versatile tackle will need a miracle to make the final roster but a practice squad spot is not out of the question if he can open some eyes at training camp. He will be given the chance to showcase his talents during his first preseason with the Steelers.
69 • Tyler Beach, Tackle, Wisconsin
6-foot-6, 290 pounds, 25 years old, 2nd Season
Acquired: The Steelers signed Tyler Beach as a free agent prior to the team’s AFC Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills last season. On Jan. 9, 2024, Beach and the Steelers reached an agreement on a reserve/future contract to bring the former Badger to Pittsburgh.
Last Year: Tyler Beach was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent last spring and played in all three preseason games with Houston in 2023. He took 55 snaps at left tackle, 28 snaps at right tackle and six at right guard. In his three games, Pro Football Focus game him a 45.9 run-blocking grade and an 80.7 pass-blocking grade. He was with the Texans throughout the summer and fall camps but failed to make the 53-man roster and was not offered a spot on their practice squad.
Beach has yet to make his official NFL debut.
College: Coming out of high school in Wisconsin as a four-star prospect, Tyler Beach committed to stay in-state and play his college football at the University of Wisconsin. Beach was placed on a redshirt during his freshman season and did not see the field at all.
Over the next two seasons, 2018 and 2019, Beach played in all 27 of the Badgers games and made his first two starts as a redshirt sophomore. During COVID’s shortened 2020 season, Beach played in seven games and started six of them at right tackle. He earned All-Big Ten honorable mention nominations following the season.
Beach played in 12 games with 12 starts at left tackle in 2021. He helped pave the way for the second best rushing offense in the Big Ten as they rushed for 210.9 yards per game and the second-leading rusher in the conference as Braelon Allen rushed for 105.7 yards per game himself. Beach earned third-team All-Big Ten honors following the 2021 season.
In 2022, Beach started games at multiple different positions along the offensive line. He started six starts at left guard and three at the jumbo tight end position. According to Pro Football Focus, Beach only allowed one sack as a redshirt senior.
In total, Beach played in 57 games for the Badgers and made 29 starts over his five season on campus. He started 19 games at left tackle, seven at right tackle and three as a jumbo tight end.
Salary cap and future: Tyler Beach signed a reserve/future deal with the Steelers in January. That deal will keep Beach in the black-and-gold until the end of the 2024 season. If he makes the team out of camp, Beach will cost $795,000 against the team’s cap space.
With none of the money on his deal guaranteed to him, if the Steelers wanted to release him, they would not face any dead money penalties.
The rest of the 90:
