After taking a look at <a href=”http://www.pittsburghsportingnews.com/three-offensive-players-on-bubble-for-steelers/22936″>three players on offense</a> that might need to have solid training camps to guarantee themselves a roster spot for the Steelers, let’s now take a look at three defensive players who are in similar position. We will take one from the defensive line, the secondary and one from the linebacking corps.
Cam Thomas: When Thomas was signed via free agency from San Diego, the Steelers believed they were getting a veteran defensive lineman who could be an impact starter at defensive end or nose tackle. By the end of the season, Thomas barely saw the field and was supplanted for playing time at both positions by rookies Stephon Tuitt and Daniel McCullers.
With Tuitt firmly entrenched as a starter at DE opposite Cameron Heyward, along with Steve McClendon and McCullers ahead of Thomas on the depth chart at nose tackle, it’s fair to say that Thomas might need a huge camp to make the roster.
Adding to the precarious situation for Thomas is the projected $2.5 million cap hit that might make it hard for the Steelers to keep him around; especially if Thomas does not improve considerably on what can only be considered a terrible 2014 campaign.
Gerod Holliman: Make no mistake, any player who wins the Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back after recording 14 interceptions last year at Louisville should get your attention. However, considering Holliman slipped until the latter part of the seventh round in the draft, there clearly are some flaws to his overall game. For all of Holliman’s ball-hawking skills, poor tackling and undisciplined play were enough reasons for teams to pass on him.
Couple these flaws with the fact that safety might be as deep as any position on the Steelers training camp roster, and Holliman may have his work cut out for him to make the team. Several players including special teams standouts Ross Ventrone and Robert Golden will be tough competition for Holliman to battle for one of those last safety spots.
To be clear, the decision to take a gamble on Holliman was done in no small part due to the fact that the Steelers are desperate for playmakers in the secondary. Holliman has a chance to be a player who can be used in certain pass coverage packages that will allow him to be the ball hawk he was in college, while masking his sloppy tackling and poor decision making. In a perfect world, former Pro-Bowl safety and current secondary coach Carnell Lake can help develop Holliman into an impact starter, but theres a lot of work ahead for that to happen.
It’s quite possible that if Holliman does not prove trustworthy enough to contribute on special teams as a rookie, he might be stashed for a year on the practice squad if he clears waivers.
Terence Garvin: Like safety, linebacker depth is a clear strength as the Steelers head to Latrobe next month. One of the many quality linebackers who are far from guaranteed a roster spot is former WVU standout Terence Garvin. An under the radar player the past two seasons, Garvin has played in all but one game the past two seasons, mainly as a special teams performer, but also started at linebacker against the Packers late in the 2013 season.
Garvin has been a survivor with the Steelers, and his ability to play inside or outside, not to mention being a key cog on the special teams, has allowed him to claim one of the final roster spots two straight seasons. This flexibility, along with his special teams contributions, might give Garvin a leg up on making the team for a third year in a row.
Conversely, players like Jordan Zumwalt, Howard Jones, and Shawn Lemon all look like potential threats to Garvin, and each could easily supplant Garvin with a strong showing during camp.
Photo credit: Pittsburgh Steelers
