3 Steelers who won’t make the roster after first preseason game

Perhaps solely based on the fact that Kenny Pickett was suiting up for the other team in Pennsylvania on Friday night, the vibes were quite high for the Pittsburgh Steelers entering their preseason opener at home against the Houston Texans. Fans were excited to see Justin Fields, to see an offense no longer led by Matt Canada, and to just have this team back on the field as well.

Those feelings dissipated quite quickly, however, as the Steelers put forth quite a sloppy effort against Houston, ultimately leading to a 20-12 loss. There were ugly turnovers, bad protections, missed assignments, miscues galore and it all amounted to there still being a lot of work left to be done for Pittsburgh in the month-or-so until the start of the regular season.

It is the preseason, though, and there is still time to work through some things. However, for some players, this is the moment to prove themselves to try and earn a roster spot. On Friday night in the preseason opener, though, these three Steelers did the opposite, taking one big step in the wrong direction and putting themselves in danger of being cut.

3. RB La'Mical Perine looks well behind his backfield mates

Though the limited work from the presumed Steelers starters at running back, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, was a bit pedestrian, those aren't players vying for roster spots. So when you start to look at La'Mical Perine in relation to the likes of veteran Jonathan Ward and rookie Daijun Edwards, the former Chiefs running back starts to look like he might not be up to the task.

Perine managed just 10 yards on four carries for the night with a long run against Houston of just four yards while also not catching his lone target on the night. Meanwhile, Ward finished with six carries for 26 yards, including a 20-yard scamper that was quite impressive, and caught his lone target for five yards. Edwards provided even more fireworks, ripping off a big 24-yard run and finishing with 28 yards on three carries, including the lone rushing score for Pittsburgh on the night. He also added a nine-yard reception.

With Harris and Warren already entrenched, making the roster as a depth piece was always going to be a tough task for Perine in the first place. Now that he's getting overshadowed in preseason action by another veteran, Ward, and a rookie, Edwards, that uphill climb now looks Sisyphean, destined to have the boulder rolled back to the bottom sooner than later.

2. IOL Nate Herbig doesn't look like reliable depth at all

Especially given the draft capital invested in the offensive line this offseason, how the Steelers performed in the trenches was always going to be under the microscope. Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier were obviously at the heart of that but the depth pieces on the roster also are vying for roster spots, including veteran Nate Herbig.

Despite his experience, however, you wouldn't have been able to see it on Friday night for the Steelers center. Herbig had legitimate issues throughout the night getting the snap right with Justin Fields, putting the ball on the turf on multiple occasions. To make matters worse, his protection was nothing to write home about either.

Pittsburgh is in an interesting position when it comes to Herbig. Frazier seems destined to be the starter as the club's second-round pick but the depth behind him is a question mark. Herbig seemed to be the likeliest option but, after a performance like this, it might be enough to send the Steelers coaches and front office scouring for other options.

1. WR Quez Watkins played himself off the roster vs. Texans

After one preseason game, we can make proclamations about it now being hard for a player to make the roster or hurting their case. However, it takes something truly awful and the right situation to completely write off a player's chances entirely after just the first week of the preseason. That, unfortunately, is exactly what Quez Watkins delivered against the Texans on Friday night.

The veteran formerly with the Eagles got several opportunities on special teams, specifically as a punt returner. With a crowded -- albeit somewhat uninspiring -- wide receiver depth chart for the Steelers, Watkins proving himself as valuable depth in the third phase of the game would've arguably been his best chance to carve out a roster spot over the likes of Scotty Miller or Dez Fitzpatrick.

Instead, Watkins was a disaster in the punt return game. The muffed punt that led to a turnover and Texans score was the cherry on top but it also followed the veteran calling for a fair catch when there wasn't a defender remotely in his vicinity and what could've been a potentially big special teams play.

Considering that Watkins also didn't register a target in the passing game on Friday night, his special teams blunders have almost surely written his fate when roster cuts come down barring a dramatic turn of events over the next few weeks.