“Position Battles” is a new feature column which will explore upcoming training camp battles from an individual player perspective. Each article will aim to make a case for, and against, a player making the roster based on the spots available at their position. 

An already crowded wide receiver depth chart is about to be busting at the seams.

Martavis Bryant has been conditionally reinstated to return to the Steelers, while the team also utilized its second round draft pick on selecting USC wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. If that weren’t enough, the Steelers also went out and signed Justin Hunter in free agency.

Those three join the incumbents: Antonio Brown, Sammie Coates, Demarcus Ayers, Cobi Hamilton, and Darrius Heyward-Bey on the preseason roster.

If you’re keeping score at home, that’s eight wide receivers on a team which usually trims down to five at the position for the final 53-man regular season roster. That leaves the question: who is the odd man (or in this case, men) out?

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Today’s article explores the pros and cons of keeping one of those players: veteran wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey. “DHB”, a former first-round draft pick by the Oakland Raiders, came to the Steelers in 2014, seeing limited playing time with only 3 receptions for 33 yards. He bounced back in 2015 following a four-game suspension to Martavis Bryant, catching 21 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns. Hey-Bey also became a valuable special teams player, which likely earned him his spot on then-crowded receiver depth charts. While the Steelers continued drafting receivers (Sammie Coates, Demarcus Ayers) Heyward-Bey was also retained with a three-year contract signed before the start of the 2016 free agency period.

Yet, I’m skeptical of whether or not Heyward-Bey will be a member of the 2017 team.

Make no mistake, that skepticism isn’t due to Heyward-Bey’s talent or lack thereof. The Steelers wide receiver depth chart is loaded with talent; which is what poses the problem for a 30-year-old pass catcher who didn’t break through the glass ceiling above him with the new contract.

DHB appeared in only 10 games last season, catching a mere six passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns. (Four of those passes were thrown by Landry Jones, including one of the scores.) He saw some playing time early, with Markus Wheaton inactive during the first two weeks of the regular season, but would actually gain more reps upon Wheaton’s return when Eli Rogers was sidelined for three out of four games through Week 6.

Week 6 might be best remembered for DHB’s contribution to the 2016 season; a 60-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter at Miami. (The Dolphins went on to victimize the Steelers 30-15.)

The following week, without Ben Roethlisberger in the game, Darrius would see a season-high 62 snaps (85%) against the New England Patriots. He would play five snaps in Week 9 against Baltimore, before leaving that game with an injury and becoming inactive for the next seven games.

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Heyward-Bey would reemerge in the Steelers regular season finale against the Cleveland Browns, where several starters were held from playing to keep them fresh for the playoffs. A telling stat from that game: of the four receivers who were active, DHB played the least amount of snaps (35%), outdone for playing time by Demarcus Ayers (93%), Eli Rogers (77%), and Cobi Hamilton (61%). That could be attributed to getting on the field for the first time in a long while, but the trend continued into the postseason, with the Steelers leaning on Hamilton and even Sammie Coates (was was a ghost in the second half of the year) in those three games.

With exception of two games in 2016, Heyward-Bey played the least amount of snaps, and the smallest role, on the Steelers offense. Even situational tight ends David Johnson and Xavier Grimble had more catches than DHB, while Ayers nearly equaled his production (six catches, half as many yards, one touchdown) in only two appearances.

I believe this spells trouble for the veteran receiver come time for training camp. He will once again have to dazzle us with his acrobatic catches and special teams play in order to carve out a niche similar to one he has fulfilled during his time with the Steelers.

If not, the number 88 could be reissued to someone else when the regular seasons kicks off in mid-September.