Steelers Release RB, O-Lineman to Make Room for 2 Linebackers

Grant Halverson/Getty Images Trey Edmunds of the Pittsburgh Steelers on August 29, 2019.

On Saturday the Pittsburgh Steelers made a series of roster moves, including adding a pair of linebackers—Avery Williamson and Jayrone Elliott—to the active roster.

Williamson was acquired in a trade with the New York Jets this past Monday, and after clearing COVID-19 protocols on Saturday became eligible for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Williamson made six starts for the Jets this season, with 59 tackles (36 solo), as well as three passes defensed and one interception. Over the course of his seven-year NFL career, he has started 81 games for the Jets and Tennessee Titans, the latter of whom made him a fifth-round pick out of the University of Kentucky (2014), where he played alongside Steelers outside linebacker Bud Dupree.

All in all, he has amassed 546 tackles, 26 tackles for a loss and 14.5 sacks, as well as four interceptions, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 17 passes defensed. At Kentucky he recorded 296 tackles, plus four sacks and a pair of interceptions.

For his part, Elliott has been active for a total of seven games with the Steelers this season and last, having been credited with a total of four tackles. But like Williamson, Elliott has an NFL resume that dates back to 2014, having also played for the Green Bay Packers (2014-16) and Dallas Cowboys (2017).

Trey Edmunds, Stefen Wisniewski Released

To make room on the roster for Williamson and Elliott the Steelers released running back Trey Edmunds and offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski.

Edmunds had been with the Steelers since September 2018. In 18 games he had 22 carries for 92 yards and six receptions for 48 yards. In 2019 he was in on nine percent of the snaps on offense and 49 percent of the snaps on special teams, but he played a limited role this season, subbing in for fullback Derek Watt for the games that Watt missed with a hamstring injury.

Wisniewski started the 2020 season opener against the New York Giants in place of an injured David DeCastro but suffered a pectoral injury in that game and hasn’t played since. He was placed on injured reserve on September 18th and didn’t return to practice until October 14th. He was returned to the active roster earlier this week but did not practice on either Wednesday or Thursday before being a limited participant in practice on Friday.

Antoine Brooks Jr. Elevated from Practice Squad

In other roster moves on Saturday, the team elevated rookie safety Antoine Brooks Jr. to the active/inactive roster for Sunday’s game against the Cowboys. It’s the second straight contest in which Brooks is expected to be active. The 2020 sixth-round pick will revert back to the practice squad after the game without having to pass through waivers.

The Steelers also signed former Seattle Seahawks sixth-round pick Demarcus Christmas to the practice squad. Christmas is a run-stuffing defensive tackle who spent the entire 2019 season on Seattle’s PUP list with an unspecified back injury.

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