After months of additions, both through the NFL draft and free agency, we will soon enter the portion of the off-season focused on roster cuts. Pittsburgh Steelers training camp and preseason games are well underway, and by August 29, the roster must be trimmed from 90 to 53 players. With pressure on incumbent Steelers to perform, which veteran players in Pittsburgh could face the axe before Week 1?

Steelers: 3 surprise preseason roster cuts to watch out for before Week 1

Pressley Harvin

Pressley Harvin two seasons in the NFL have been wildly inconsistent. For every 65-yard bomb that pins the opponent inside the 20, the punter seemingly has a 40-yard line drive that sets up a favorable return. Among the NFL's 34 eligible punters in 2022, Harvin finished 28th both in yards per punt and percentage of punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line. These finishes come even after he posted a two-yard increase in yards/punt and a three-yard jump in net yards/punt from his frustrating rookie season.

The Steelers brought in former New York Jets punter Braden Mann to provide competition for Harvin this offseason, and Mann has a solid shot to win the job. The former Texas A&M punter was 17th in yards/punt last year and, more importantly, has demonstrated consistency over the previous two campaigns.

Mann handled punting duties in Pittsburgh's first preseason game, and while it came in ideal conditions in Tampa Bay, the former Jet averaged 45.7 yards on six punts with an impressive 45.0 net average. Sources say that Pressley Harvin has been much improved in training camp this summer, but Mann will push him all the way.

Mason Rudolph

It is not very often that you see a team keep a pair of capable, veteran quarterbacks on the roster. It worked for the Steelers last year given the uncertainty at the position amidst Kenny Pickett's arrival, but will the team keep the trio of Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph again in 2023? It is possible but seems unlikely. The most likely scenario would have been letting Rudolph walk, but the team resigned him to a one-year deal this off-season. Pittsburgh also gave Trubisky a two-year extension that keeps him in the Steel City through 2025.

The team would save all $940,000 of Rudolph's  2023 salary by cutting him, and as for Trubisky, his release would not affect this year's cap. Even though the Steelers brought back Rudolph for another year, his team-friendly contract structure allows the Steelers to release the sixth-year quarterback without eating any of his salary.

Chris Boswell

Continuing with the special teams makeover, Chris Boswell has been a mainstay for the Steelers for almost a decade now but has had his struggles along the. At times he has been an elite kicker in the tough conditions at Heinz Field, posting five seasons with a field goal percentage of at least 90%. Boswell also has two years with a FG% south of 72%. The first came in 2018, when his 65% conversion rate was the second-lowest in the NFL. The coaching staff trusted him, and he followed that year up with three superb campaigns.

Then came another mediocre year in 2022. Injuries cost the kicker five games in the middle of the season and the veteran never really hit his stride, finishing the year making just 71.4% of his kicks — worst in the league. Boswell faces competition this offseason from B.T. Potter, a rookie out of Clemson who holds career school records for field goals, extra points, and points scored. Potter was solid in the Steelers' first preseason contest, hitting both of his field goals and all three of his PATs.

Potter is by no means the favorite in this race, but a second poor season from Boswell means added pressure and a shorter leash for the long-time Steelers place-kicker.