The excitement of free agency has passed and we are now at the point where teams are simply filling out their depth charts with veteran players.

There are a number of former Steelers who are still homeless as of today. Let’s look at who’s still out there, and if they may end up with a job for the 2017 season with eitherin Pittsburgh or another city.

Shamarko Thomas

When the Steelers traded up to draft Shamarko Thomas years ago everyone assumed he would be the heir to Troy Polamalu.

Fast forward to now and Thomas is sitting in free agent purgatory. Though he seemingly has the tools to be a starter in this league, he was never able to put it all together. Though Thomas has flashed in his special teams role with the Steelers, his play has also been plagued by mental errors.

The Steelers have shown no signs of interest in re-signing Thomas and no reports have surfaced about other teams showing interest either. More than likely Thomas will be signed now that the big-money free agent signing period is over. Thomas will eventually make a 90-man roster and will then have to prove he is a capable special teams to make it past the preseason.

With his work ethic and positive attitude, he’s a guy to root for.

Justin Gilbert

Last offseason the Steelers made an interesting move and traded for former first-round pick Justin Gilbert. It was a low-risk move for the Steelers due to their need for cornerback depth, and given his pedigree and measurables, there was a chance of unlocking Gilbert’s potential.

Unfortunately Gilbert never really saw the field or had an impact. Though he had another year left on his deal, the Steelers cut Gilbert to save cap space. The Steelers have hinted at the possibility of bringing back Gilbert on a cheaper deal, but the recent signing of Coty Sensabaugh makes this move seem unlikely.

Gilbert has the natural gifts to succeed, but his notoriously poor work ethic makes his future in the NFL appear murky.

Ricardo Mathews

Mathews is one of the players on this list I thought would be re-signed. His play wasn’t spectacular, but it was solid and he played admirably when Cam Heyward went down with an injury.

It’s also worth noting that he was better than another former Charger the Steelers signed years earlier, defensive tackle Cam Thomas.

Moving forward it still seems possible the Steelers re-sign Mathews. Behind their three starters at defensive line, there aren’t any reliable options. The Steelers could be waiting to see if they can find a player in free agency or in the draft, and pending on how things play out we could see Mathews back.

DeAngelo Williams

DeAngelo Williams is easily the most interesting case on this list. Williams was the primary back-up to Le’Veon Bell over the last two seasons and has played great in that role. He has been a reliable, team-first player and it is difficult to speak anything negative about his tenure in Pittsburgh.

Many do not understand, and rightfully so, why Williams hasn’t been resigned yet. The only apparent reason for him still being on the market is his age. Williams will be 34 when the 2017 season begins, which is very old for a running back.

One potential scenario for the Steelers is waiting until training camp to bring back him depending on how the running back depth chart shakes out.

They have done this in the past with other players and could do it again with Williams.