Behind the Steel Curtain
The Steelers have an open roster spot.
Training camp is in full swing, and so is offseason roster shuffling.
NFL insider Aaron Wilson reported Monday that the Steelers worked out six players: tight ends Baylor Cupp, Kevin Foelsch, and Thomas Yassmin, running backs Jarveon Howard and Lew Nichols, and wide receiver Colton Dowell.
Cupp signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2024. He appeared in one game last season but didn’t record any statistics. The 6’6, 243-pound tight end played college football at Texas Tech, where he recorded 11 catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns his final year.
Foelsch also went undrafted in 2024, initially signing with the Carolina Panthers. In a busy rookie year, he spent time with the Jets, Eagles, and Chiefs. However, the 6’4, 250-pound tight end has yet to appear in an NFL game.
Foelsch ran a 4.65-second 40-yard dash coming out of the University of New Haven. In 2022, he logged 25 catches for 191 yards and five touchdowns.
Yassmin went undrafted in 2024, spending the season on the Denver Broncos’ practice squad. An Australian athlete, Yassmin was granted the NFL’s international player exemption. The 6’5, 251-pound tight end played college football at Utah, where he had eight catches for 89 yards and a touchdown in 2023.
The Steelers’ rash of tight end workouts is interesting given D.J. Thomas-Jones’ recent injury. The Pittsburgh rookie’s injury was recently deemed not season-ending, but that doesn’t mean he won’t miss any time.
Howard signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2024. Since then, he’s spent time with the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks. The 5’11, 215-pound running back spent six seasons in college, finishing his 2023 at Alcorn State with 773 rushing yards and seven touchdowns (5.1 yards per carry).
He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds at the HBCU Combine in 2024, where Steelers general manager Omar Khan was one of only two general managers in attendance.
Nichols was drafted in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. However, he's spent most of the last two seasons on the Eagles’ practice squad. He’s yet to appear in an NFL game.
Nichols played collegiately at Central Michigan, where the 5’10, 220-pound runner rushed for 616 yards and six touchdowns in 2022. His best season came in 2021, where he logged 1,848 rushing yards, 338 receiving yards, and 18 total touchdowns for the Chippewas.
Dowell was also a seventh-round selection, drafted in 2023 by the Tennessee Titans. He’s appeared in 10 career NFL games, with one reception for three yards. He has one start but has played the majority of his snaps on special teams.
Dowell missed the 2024 season with a torn ACL.
He played collegiately at UT Martin, where he put up 67 catches for 1,032 yards and six touchdowns in 2022. Dowell says he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds coming out of college at 6’3, 220 pounds....
