Steelers 2-a-days: Change-of-pace back Kerrith Whyte, defensive tackle Chris Wormley
Editor’s note: Leading up to a unique Pittsburgh Steelers training camp staged at Heinz Field this year, the Tribune-Review will be running through the team’s 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2020 season. The breakdown will go through the roster, in mostly alphabetical order, two per day, between June 9 and July 23, a day originally planned to be reporting day for players to camp. (Contract data courtesy spotrac.com)
Kerrith Whyte didn’t join the @Steelers until Week 12, and he’d only play 41 offensive snaps (27 more on special teams). But he made enough of an impact that it seemed like more than that during his short time thus far in the organization.#steelershttps://t.co/xQ6GYZIOzK
— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) January 10, 2020
RB KERRITH WHYTE
Experience: 2nd season
Contract status: $675,000 cap hit in 2020, scheduled for restricted free agency after season
2020 outlook: The Steelers had their eye on Whyte before last year’s draft. It took an extra seven months, but eventually they got their man after the Chicago Bears had moved him to their practice squad. The speedy and shifty Whyte made an immediate impact with the Steelers and averaged 5.1 yards on his 24 carries over the season’s final six games.
Bottom line: Whyte showed potential and provided intrigue as a change-of-pace back. The Steelers have drafted a running back in the middle rounds of each of the past four drafts, though, and Whyte will probably have to beat one of them out in order to make the active roster — and that one to beat out would almost assuredly have to be Jaylen Samuels. Whyte has proven kickoff return abilities and is certainly faster than Samuels. There is crossover with rookie fourth-round pick Anthony McFarland’s skillset, so Whyte’s path to a roster spot is tricky because Samuels is the better in the passing game.
New #Steelers player Chris Wormley is exactly as advertised. Mainly in a good way writes @TimBenzPgh. https://t.co/0IucH7IGzT
— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) April 2, 2020
DT CHRIS WORMLEY
Experience: 4th season
Contract status: $2.13 million cap hit in 2020, unrestricted free agent after season
2020 outlook: Javon Hargrave was a good player on the Steelers defensive line the past four seasons, but with about $120 million committed to Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt it was untenable for them to pay Hargrave his worth in free agency. Something had to be done to replace him, though, and it was done via a rare intra-division trade: the Ravens, seeking some salary-cap space, sent Wormley to their rivals in an exchange of late-round 2021 draft picks. Wormley slots somewhere amongst the depth chart at nose tackle and end.
Bottom line: Of course, nose tackles are used sparingly in the modern NFL. Wormley has shown he can play some end and on the line in the nickel. Dan McCullers is a true nose tackle on the roster, and Tyson Alualu is both the next-best alternative at the nose and also the top backup to Heyward and Tuitt. Seventh-round pick Carlos Davis was added to this mix, as well. There are a number of ways in which the depth chart could shake out along the defensive line after Heyward and Tuitt. Wormely is playing on an expiring contract, so he’s probably only a one-year stopgap — but it’s also possible he fits in well enough the Steelers keep him around longer-term.
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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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