🚨BREAKING🚨: Steelers SIGN Free Agent CB Asante Samuel Jr. To The Practice Squad | Instant Reaction

🚨BREAKING🚨: Steelers SIGN Free Agent CB Asante Samuel Jr. To The Practice Squad | Instant Reaction

[Music] Well, Steelers fans, you asked for him and now he’s here. Asante Samuel Jr. is officially signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad. Um, and this is a really big time addition for the Pittsburgh Steelers midway through the 2025 NFL season. Asante had a lot of very interested suitors. He went on a very extensive search to find the right fit and the right team. And the fact that Asante Samuel Jr. picked the Pittsburgh Steelers over other teams that are playing very well right now shows that Asante Samuel Jr. feels like this year’s Steelers team uh can do some good things and hopefully he can be a big part of getting this defense back on track in the tail end of the 2025 Steelers season. Now, this is why you subscribe to the channel, guys. We’re going to get you guys breaking news coverage whenever the Pittsburgh Steelers make a big move. Whether it’s a free agency signing, whether it’s a trade in the offseason or before the trade deadline, whatever the case may be, we get you guys the latest Steelers updates for free every single day on this channel. There’s a reason why we have over 100,000 subscribers here on Steelers Talk. So, if you guys want your daily dose of Steelers news and rumors, click that subscribe button and let’s get into it. Man, Asante Samuel Jr. officially a Pittsburgh Steeler. He’s only 26 years old, 180 lb, 510, the exact same height and weight by the way as uh Dante Jackson, the number two outside corner for the Pittsburgh Steelers last year. Um and he was the 47th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft by the Chargers. He’s known as kind of like an offzone kind of corner. Um you know, very good instincts, very good uh in zone coverage. You know, he can play inside and out even though he’s played a vast majority of his snaps on the outside. He’s only had 40 career slot snaps in the National Football League. He was pretty much exclusively an outside corner playing uh in in LA’s off coverage kind of style defense uh in his time in LA. So uh certainly I feel like the Pittsburgh Steelers probably feel like he’s going to fill that kind of role for the Pittsburgh Steelers here as an outside corner. Now you guys can take a look here at what he’s done throughout his career. He’s been known as a ball hawk. Now, last year, you know, he obviously didn’t play all that much, so he didn’t get uh so the stats weren’t like fantastic. Just played in four games, didn’t have an interception, but he had two interceptions in the three seasons previous to that. Um, you know, he he makes plays on the football, he’s got excellent ball skills, he gets interceptions, he’s got a really good eye uh for zone instincts. He’s not the best man-to-man corner, but uh hopefully this is a sign here that the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to play more zone coverage and play more quarters, play more cover six, cuz that’s really the bread and butter of Asante Samuel Jr. as an outside corner. Now, let me know what you guys think down there in the comments section at the top of today’s show. What is your one-word reaction to this signing of Asante Samuel Jr.? I’ll I’ll let you guys know my thoughts on ASJ and what he brings to the Steelers defense in just a second here, but this will be the pin comment on today’s show. Just a second here, I’m going to tell you about our sponsor today. And while I talk to you about prize picks, let me know your one-word reaction to the Asante Samuel Jr. signing. With that, I have word from our sponsor today at prize pickics. And the hard-hitting football action is even better this season with prize picks. 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I’m taking the more on Trayvon Henderson rushing yards on first rush. Uh so you guys can download the prize picks app today. Use code CLNS. Get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup on the free prize picks app today. It’s code cls to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. Prize picks. It’s good to be right. So, for me, guys, I think that this is a big time get for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s just not very often that you add a player of this caliber, a legitimately good number two starting outside corner at this point in the year. And frankly with the miss that they have had in free agency with Darius Slay this year. I mean this is a godsend because this is the type of player that this defense desperately needs because Slay has really struggled all throughout the 2025 season for this defense. Now my scouting report on Asante Samuel Jr. is that you know he’s not a perfect player but what he does he does at a really high level. So, he’s a he’s got great playmaking and especially zone instincts that those intermediate zones, all that different stuff, uh, you know, cover three, cover four, you know, the different styles of zone, uh, that you see around the National Football League. He does a really good job playing all of those. He’s not the best man coverage corner. He’s not the best cover corner in the world, and he can be very aggressive. He’s been known as somebody that you can bait into, you know, uh, giving up big plays on double moves and stuff like that. He’s also not the biggest guy in the world. He’s only five 510 180 pounds. So, not the biggest guy in the world either. And he uh run defense is not a strength of his, which is probably one of the reasons why he probably won’t be playing in the slot. But he’s got excellent ball skills. He’s known as a ball hawk. Um you know, he’s somebody that especially if you play a lot of zone, he can be a very uh a very good uh number two corner if you got a good number one corner on the other side of him. And I think the Steelers do have that. And Joey Porter Jr., even with his imperfections, he’s certainly somebody that’s capable of taking away number one uh wide receivers in this league in my opinion. Um and I think that this also another positive to bringing in Asante Samuel Jr. is that he could be a long-term play for this defense. All right, I know you’re probably just signing him to a one-year deal here, but you know, if he works out, you could bring him back. And he’s only 26 years old, and if you bring him back next off season, he’s only 27. So, he’s somebody that could certainly be a very strong veteran presence for this defense alongside Joey Porter Jr. and he’s so uh complimentary to JPJ in my opinion because Joey is that long lanky type of true man corner and then you know they like to rotate coverage away from him at times and if you’re going to be asking Asante Samuel Jr. to play those you know zones and to be a ball hawk and take advantage of interception opportunities kind of like Dante Jackson did for this defense last year. I think that’s the perfect role for him. Um because I don’t think he’s a true number one corner. I don’t think he’s at that level of player, but I think he’s a very good number two corner just like Dante Jackson has been and was for the Steelers defense last year. And you know, I know Dante wasn’t perfect. You know, he’s he’s he had his lapses in coverage last year for sure. And you’re going to see that from Asante Samuel Jr. He’s not a perfect coverage player. Um but like Dante, they’re both very uh good in zone. They’re both very aggressive. They both have good ball skills. I mean, people forget that DJ had like over five interceptions with the Steelers last year. He really did a great job uh identifying the football and making big plays happen. He was a big part of the Steelers turnover culture. And we’ve seen a lot of dropped interceptions from the Steelers defense this year. Uh Asante Samuel Junior’s got really good hands. So, if he gets opportunities to pick the ball off, he’s going to take those opportunities and run with them. But I think it’s a a really good fit with the Pittsburgh Steelers and what they need out of a number two cover corner. And you know, uh, Darius Slay wasn’t up to snuff so far this season. And now that he’s got a concussion, it’s just great that you’re adding a guy this good uh to be your number two corner moving forward. Now, I do have two questions when it comes to this signing. My first question is who is going to play slot corner moving forward? Now, my best guess is that it’s going to be Brandon Eckles. Okay? And you know, we’ll see if Asante’s able to play this week, but I think, you know, with Asante and, you know, he’s not the best run defender in the world and he’s had some tackling issues in the past. Um, my guess is they will play him on the outside alongside Joey Porter Jr. Now, James Pierre has played pretty well on the outside for the Steelers over the last few weeks. I think he will continue to be that depth piece in case either Joey or Asante gets injured. Darius Slay, we’ll see if they cut him or if they just keep him on the team as veteran depth. I guess we’ll see what they do at that position. But then you got Brandon Eckles who I do think becomes your new starting slot corner. Um I don’t love that because he did have some lapses in coverage last week, especially against Lad Manki. Uh but he’s generally played well enough this year uh where you feel okay with Brandon Eckles playing uh the slot. And then if you really need to, you can put Jaylen Ramsay in at corner as well. It sounds like Ramsay is going to stay at safety, especially with this move to go get another corner. I definitely think Ramsay’s going to be finding a home long term in this Pittsburgh Steelers defense at safety. Uh but if you if push comes to shove and you need more quarterback depth, Ramsay is more than capable of coming down, playing the slot, or even playing on the outside if absolutely needed. But then the second question that I have when it comes to this Asante Samuel Jr. signing is, can they get him ramped up for this week? They got Kyle Duggar ramped up uh in time for uh for the game a couple weeks ago against the Colts. So, it’s certainly possible. But we know this coaching staff is capable of getting a player ramped up in the secondary to be able to play uh with within a very short, you know, you know, time frame. I mean, it’s literally on the same day. They traded for Kyle Duggar on a Tuesday. They’re signing uh Sante Samuel Jr. to the practice squad here on a Tuesday as well. So, it’s certainly possible that they can get him up to speed. I guess we’ll see if he can get ramped up. Um but, you know, if they do, he’ll probably be the starting outside number two corner this week. If not, I would expect James Pierre to get the start on the outside alongside Joey Porter Jr. with Eckles playing in the slot. So, sound out for me down there in the comments section. Grade the signing of Asante Samuel Jr. for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Give me an A, B, C, D, or F. Let me know what you guys think down there in the comments section. I think at this point in the year, I got to give it an A. I mean, you just don’t find players that are like legitimately good starting players. Um, you know, coming in. Obviously, he’s coming off a very, you know, serious spinal injury that he had to get surgery from. Um, but, you know, this is this is a good football player that’s only 26 years old and kind of fits the role perfectly for what the Steelers are looking for in this defense at this point in the season. So, for me, I’m going to go with an A. And now, I do have some final items here before we say goodbye today, guys. Uh, the Steelers did make some more roster moves. Yesterday, they released safety Juan Thornnehill. They also uh released Derek Forest from the practice squad today, by the way, uh to make room for Asante Samuel Jr. And then they also poached uh fan favorite UDFA this year out of Iowa, Sebastian Castro. Um the Tampa Bay Buccaneers poached Castro off the Steelers practice squad early on in the season. And now, uh the Steelers have poached Sebastian Castro off of Tampa Bay’s practice squad. So, he will be returning and he will be added immediately to the active roster. Okay. So, it’s great to see Sebastian back. And for me, guys, this is a double dose of good news. Juan Thornnehill, uh, to put it in Mike Tomlin’s words today. He wasn’t up to snuff, but Sebastian Castro had a really good preseason. He looked good in camp. He looked good in the preseason games. And, uh, I’ve always liked his tape, man. He’s not the most physically imposing player. You know, he’s not the best tackler in the world, but he’s got great zone instincts as a safety. He can play in the slot. He’s he can take on blocks as a DB uh, in the run game, which is really impressive. and you know, he just plays with great instincts. Man, this guy is a football player and a good backup safety. Um, so I’m glad he’s back in the fold here with the Pittsburgh Steelers. So, now we get to the current safety room for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Obviously, you got Jaylen Ramsey and Kyle Duggar. Those guys seem to be cemented as your starters, at least for now. Jabril Peppers is currently working his way back from a quad injury. Got Chuck Clark, who played a little bit uh this past week, and he’s still on the team uh for whatever reason. And then you got Sebastian Castro uh being brought in here as another depth piece on the active roster. Now, make sure you guys click that thumbs up icon if you haven’t already, if you approve of today’s moves, bringing in uh Sebastian Castro and Asante Samuel Jr. and letting go of Derek Forest and Juan Thornnehill. Now, today Mike Tomlin took the podium for Tomlin Tuesday. And usually I have a whole list of takeaways, all that stuff, but today just want to give you guys uh the essential information, namely the injury information. Sounds like Isaac Seamalo is going to be back this week at left guard. He’s dealing with a pectoral injury that kept him out of last week’s game against the Chargers. It looks like 73 will be back in the lineup this week, which is terrific news. Um, and it looks like it’s going to be all hands on deck once again up front for the Pittsburgh Steelers. And then guys that are going to start the week limited for the Steelers on the injury front. Darius Slay dealing with a concussion. I would I would assume he doesn’t play this week, but you never know. Uh then you got Jabril Peppers who’s working his way back from a quad and Cole Hulkcom is finally going to be back this week uh getting back to practice after suffering an illness that has kept him out of the last two games. So hopefully these guys can get better as soon as possible. And if you guys didn’t check out our earlier video today where I preview this week’s matchup versus the Cincinnati Bengals, of course we’re getting uh the the Icy Hot Bowl uh the second one here. We got uh Aaron Rogers and Joe Flacco going up against each other at Acers Stadium on Sunday. Can the Steelers get their revenge and split the season series or will they lose yet another game to the Bengals and get swept by Flaco Chase and the Pussycats? I got my full preview up on the channel right now. I’ll put the chip to that one in the top right of today’s show. And I want to thank you guys for uh stopping by here today for this breaking news edition of Steelers Talk. Asante Samuel Jr. is a Pittsburgh Steeler and that is uh something to celebrate here guys. So, make sure you click that subscribe button if you haven’t already for extensive Steelers news coverage all around the clock throughout the 2025 season. [Music]

BREAKING NEWS: Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, The Steelers have signed free agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. to the practice squad. Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS and use code CLNS and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! The Steelers add a talented young cornerback to their defense alongside Jalen Ramsey, T.J. Watt, Joey Porter Jr and others. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will be excited to improve the defense to support Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers and playmakers DK Metcalf, Jaylen Warren, and Pat Freiermuth with the Steelers chasing a playoff spot and an AFC North division title. Steelers Talk host Jack Sperry talks about the Steelers breaking news, all the latest Pittsburgh Steelers rumors, and more on today’s Steelers Talk video!

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Asante Samuel Jr. news and stats
– Asante Samuel Jr. is 26 Years Old (5’10, 180 lbs)
– Asante Samuel Jr. was the 47th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Chargers
– Asante Samuel Jr. is an inside/outside versatile cornerback with a specialty in off coverage

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Pittsburgh Steelers Cornerbacks depth chart on the Steelers roster:
Joey Porter Jr.
Asante Samuel Jr.
Darius Slay
James Pierre
Brandin Echols
Jalen Ramsey

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Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 Draft Picks:
– Round 1, Pick #21: Derrick Harmon (DT, Oregon)
– Round 3, Pick #87: Kaleb Johnson (RB, Iowa)
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– Round 5, Pick #164: Yahya Black (DT, Iowa)
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– Round 7, Pick #229: Donte Kent (CB, Central Michigan)

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Steelers safety depth chart:
Jalen Ramsey
Kyle Dugger
Jabrill Peppers
Chuck Clark
Sebastian Castro
Darrick Forrest

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