The Steelers will open training camp July 28 at Heinz Field. As is usually the case, camp will include a number of battles, not just for roster spots, but for starting jobs.
This series will take a look at those battles as we head into camp.
Today: Backup safety
Who: Marcus Allen, Jordan Dangerfield, Antoine Brooks, John Battle, Tyree Kinnel
The Skinny: We know Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds will be the starters. There's a good chance Dangerfield's spot is safe, as well. He's got the most experience among the the rest of the group and is a core special teams player.
That leaves the rest of the group fighting for one, maybe two spots.
Allen has been around for two seasons, spending most of that time on the practice squad. He got an opportunity to play in the dime package in 2018, but that didn't work out. Then, last season he was beaten out for a spot on the initial 53-man roster by Kameron Kelly.
Allen was elevated to the roster from the practice squad after Kelly was released for running afoul the law, but he still didn't see much action after that.
Brooks is a sixth-round draft pick out of Maryland who is around the ball a lot. He had four interceptions in the past three seasons -- Allen had just one at Penn State -- so his ball skills are a little better.
Battle was in camp with the Jets last season. The former LSU star had three interceptions in his final season in the bayou.
Kinnel signed with the Steelers after the XFL closed shop. The former Michigan star was in camp with the Bengals last season before playing with the DC Defenders in the XFL.
The Edge: Allen has been in two camps with the Steelers, giving him a slight edge over the others. But the coaching staff hasn't shown a lot of faith in him to this point.
Brooks, as a draft pick, will get a shot. But he also was only a sixth-round pick, so he's not a given.
Battle or Kinnel could be this year's version of Kelly, who earned a spot with the first-team defense last season when Sean Davis missed time while recovering from an offseason injury. Kelly impressed with his ability to soak in information, something that's extremely important at the safety position.
The wildcard here is if the Steelers decide to continue to occasionally give Cameron Sutton and Mike Hilton at safety. If they decide those guys are better solutions, the No. 4 spot could come down to which player is the better special teams player.
The Steelers could keep four safeties. They could keep five. My money right now is on Brooks and perhaps Battle, who has some pedigree.
At some point, the team could decide it needs another veteran, as well. This is one spot where a free agent addition might make some sense. But the team won't know until it gets these guys onto the practice field.
Tomorrow: No. 3 Quarterback
Monday: If Feiler is at LG, who starts at RT?
Tuesday: Steelers have options at nose tackle
Wednesday: Battle at tight end is for the third spot
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