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On Friday, May 7, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed former New York Jets and New Orleans Saints defensive back Arthur Maulet.
According to Brooke Pryor of ESPN, the team also made five other undrafted free agent signings official. To make room for Maulet and company, the Steelers terminated the contract of cornerback Trevor Williams and waived safety John Battle.
From the transaction wire, the Steelers officially signed:
-DB Shakur Brown
-DB Mark Gilbert
-DB Arthur Maulet
-WR Isaiah McKoy
-DB Lamont Wade
-LB Jamar Watson
Steelers also waived DB John Battle, DB Trevor Williams
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Williams & Battle Were on 1-Year Future Contracts
Williams, a former starter for the Los Angeles Chargers, originally worked out for—and then signed with—the Steelers in early January after Joe Haden tested positive for COVID-19 and was unable to appear in the season finale or the following week’s AFC Wild Card game. He was subsequently re-signed to a one-year reserve/future contract.
As for Battle, he’s a former undrafted free agent out of LSU who entered the NFL with the Jets, signing shortly after the 2019 NFL Draft. He was waived by New York before training camp that year but subsequently caught on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad for the 2019 regular season.
In 2020, the Florida native signed a future/reserve deal with the Steelers and spent part of last season on the practice squad. Battle then inked another one-year future contract in January 2021 but became expendable with the addition of Maulet and 2021 seventh-round pick Tre Norwood — not to mention rookie undrafted free agent safeties Wade and Donovan Stiner.
The other players signed to the Steelers roster on Friday were: Michigan State cornerback Shakur Brown (who is widely viewed as one of the most promising undrafted free agent signings in the league); Duke cornerback Mark Gilbert, who is the cousin of former New York Jets All-Pro Darelle Revis and a nephew of former NFL standout Sean Gilbert; plus Kentucky linebacker Jamar Watson and MAC wide receiver Isaiah McKoy out of Kent State.
Steelers Training Camp at Saint Vincent College?
In other news on Friday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero shared an NFL memo sent to all 32 teams indicating that clubs are permitted to go away for training camp this summer, pending league approval.
That’s hopeful news for Saint Vincent College and the businesses in and around Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Last season marked the first time in more than a half-century that the Steelers did not hold training camp at the school. Instead, they moved to Heinz Field, which has four locker rooms and helped the team comply with required social distancing measures.
Prior to this year’s training camp, the Steelers will hold a rookie minicamp between May 14-16, one that will include Slippery Rock quarterback Roland Rivers, the former 2019 Division II Player of the Year. The team will also hold its mandatory minicamp between June 8-10.
Pittsburgh is scheduled to kick off its preseason against the Dallas Cowboys in the 2021 Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio on August 5.
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