Cobi Hamilton’s putting up a fight to make the Steelers roster
One of the big storylines with the Steelers this offseason has been their wide receiver depth.
You have star receiver Antonio Brown, who everyone adores. You have Martavis Bryant, returning from a year long suspension and expected to dominate the competition. You also have JuJu Smith-Schuster, a second round draft pick who everyone is excited to see play. Even free agent signing Justin Hunter, who’s impressed in training camp thus far, has received a fair share of hype.
These players have Steelers Nation buzzing, and rightfully so.
Among all this noise though is one player many have forgotten about: Cobi Hamilton.
Hamilton was a late-signing for the Steeler signing 2016, arriving in early August. He didn’t make the initial 53-man roster but was signed to the practice squad. One month later, in October, he was promoted to the active roster. He ended up playing a modest role in the Steelers offense, mostly due to the various injuries at the position.
Many, myself included, had given up on the second-year Steelers and assumed he wouldn’t make this year’s roster.
Hamilton had different thoughts, however. While his performance in camp hasn’t been as flashy as players like Hunter, he performed where it counted. During the Steelers preseason game versus the Giants, he was a clear favorite target of quarterback Josh Dobbs. In the clip below you can see Hamilton making an impressive catch on a deep ball from Dobbs.
Josh Dobbs hits Cobi Hamilton with the deep ball! pic.twitter.com/whsxNH0P6r
— Eric Herm (@EricHermPGH) August 12, 2017
This was no easy catch, however, Hamilton was able to high point the ball and bring it down in traffic. Last year we were used to seeing Hamilton simply as a possession receiver – a reliable target who would catch the ball on third down. This catch shows he’s capable of being a big play threat, something we didn’t see as much of last year.
The next clip isn’t as flashy of a catch, but is still a great play by Cobi. He may not have the speed of Sammie Coates or Darrius Heyward-Bey, but Hamilton has a knack for getting open downfield and does so here.
Dobbs to Cobi connection!!! #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/jB582Vt4rY
— Eric Herm (@EricHermPGH) August 12, 2017
At the end of the day, what matters the most in the preseason is how you perform when the lights turn on and the cameras roll. Dominant training camp performances means nothing if it doesn’t translate once you step onto the football field.
What Hamilton showed was that he will arrive when it matters. It may only be preseason, but you still want to see guys making plays – that’s what Hamilton did. Pro Football Focus even recognized how well Hamilton played.
The top graded wide receivers in the AFC North in the opening preseason games pic.twitter.com/E2Q4UaNqm6
— PFF (@PFF) August 16, 2017
A legitimate question to ask is: who do the Steelers cut for Hamilton to make the roster?
With the considerable depth at the position, the Steelers will more than likely keep six wide receivers on the roster. The four locks appears to be: Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Eli Rogers. One spot will likely come down to a battle between Justin Hunter and Sammie Coates. These two players have similar skill sets, both being athletic deep threats.
The player Hamilton will seemingly have to beat out for a job is veteran Darrius Heyward-Bey. It would be a tough call cutting Heyward-Bey. He is loved by the coaching staff, having established himself as a mentor and leader in the wide receivers room. While never the most reliable receiver, he’s had a couple flashy big plays and is a key player on special teams. The coaching staff needs to ask themselves if it’s worth cutting the veteran in favor of a younger player with more upside as a pass catcher.
The Steelers also have other wide receivers who can mimic Heyward-Bey’s production.
Heyward-Bey has been praised for his blocking, but rookie Smith-Schuster has impressed with his blocking skills and will likely have his skills utilized. Heyward-Bey has been used as a deep threat, but Hunter or Coates, along with Bryant, is able to fill that role. Leadership and special teams is where Heyward-Bey’s value lies.
It will be a very tough call for the Steelers coaching staff when deciding what to do with Cobi Hamilton, his performance versus the Giants certainly increased the difficulty of that decision. It’s an uphill battle undoubtedly, but if he can continue to impress throughout the preseason, the staff may have to create a spot for him on the 53-man roster.
