The Steelers are nearly at capacity when it comes to their offseason roster, chock-full of carryovers, newly signed free agents, draft picks, and undrafted rookies, the team is brimming with talent and depth. 

So as we go through the coming months, the roster will dwindle slowly but surely, before we reach early September and the 53-man rosters are due. 

With 11 corners currently on the roster, I projected the team to carry six cornerbacks, doing my best to consider who may be in and out of the roster. Well when Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team released his Surprise NFL Players Who Could Get Traded, Cut After 2023 Draft, one Steeler cornerback was a surprising cut:

Akhello Witherspoon 

Here was Meirov's reasoning behind the potential cut of Witherspoon:

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed Patrick Peterson in free agency and drafted Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice. The Steelers have 11 corners on the roster, and Witherspoon appears to be the odd man out, especially considering Pittsburgh would save $4 million against the cap if it released him. Witherspoon has played only 13 games in his two years with Pittsburgh.

Witherspoon came over from San Fransisco in 2021, where, in only nine games, he recorded a career-high in interceptions (3) and tied his career-best in pass breakups with nine, proving to be a valuable addition. 

But Witherspoon was only available in four contests last season after a hamstring injury placed him on IR for a period of the year. The 28-year-old carries a cap hit of over $5 million dollars, making his potential release enticing for a team with under $3 million dollars in effective cap space. 

There are multiple players to consider when it comes to who will replace Witherspoon, with two recent additions coming to mind; Chandon Sullivan and Cory Trice Jr. 

Sullivan officially signed a one-year deal with the Steelers yesterday, and Trice Jr. was taken in the seventh round, but as I, and many others have said, if Trice is healthy, he has the chance to be the steal of day three.

Sullivan is only a year younger and his contract details have yet to be released, but we can presume it's less than Witherspoon's given the Steelers' current cap situation and length of the deal. Trice Jr. is no lock to the make team, but if he does, his likely rookie minimum would save a ton of cash compared to Witherspoon as well. 

As I stated in yesterday's news, all of this shapes up to be fun for the fans yet stressful for the decision-makers. Every dollar will be considered and every rep of offseason workouts and practices will be watched. So buckle up Steelers nation, the next few months will be a wild ride.