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The injury bug has been running rampant through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, and while these injuries are not the the season-ending variety, a team still needs to have enough players to practice.
With Alejandro Villanueva dealing with an undisclosed injury, and Vance McDonald dealing with a foot injury, the depth at offensive tackle and tight end has been depleted.
Clearly, the Steelers needed to make some moves, and they did just that by signing free agents Bucky Hodges (TE) and Kyle Meadows (OT).
We have signed TE Bucky Hodges & OT Kyle Meadows.
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 2, 2018
We have also waived LB Darnell Leslie & waived/injured TE Ryan Malleck.
Hodges, a Virginia Tech product, was a 6th round draft choice by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2017 NFL Draft. He spent some time with the Carolina Panthers last year, and will wear No. 82 with the Steelers.
Meadows is a Kentucky product who was an Undrafted Rookie Free Agent (UDFA) signed by the Green Bay Packers, but was released on July 13th. He will wear No. 69 for the black-and-gold.
Whether either of these players sticks around with the team will depend on the health of others, and whether they flash in training camp and the preseason.
Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers as they prepare for their first preseason game next Thursday vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.