Pittsburgh Steelers Practice Squad: Team finalizes 10-player unit

As of 12:00 p.m. EST Sunday, any player who was released by an organization officially cleared waivers and was able to be signed to a team's practice squad. The Pittsburgh Steelers finalized their 2015 practice squad Sunday by signing 10 players to remain within the organization for a year.

Here are the 10 players who were signed by the team to represent their practice squad in 2015:

RB Dominique Brown

S Jordan Dangerfield

OL Reese Dismukes, Antonio Johnson

LB L.J. Fort, Shayon Green

DE Ethan Hemer

WR Shakim Phillips, Jarrod West

TE Harold Spears

Practice sqd: RB Dominique Brown; SS Dangerfield; OL Dismukes, Antonio Johnson; LBs LJ Fort, SGreen; DE Hemer; WR Phillips, West; TE HSpears

— Bob Labriola (@BobLabriola) September 6, 2015

How is a player considered eligible for the practice squad? Here are the rules:

In order to be eligible for the practice squad, players must meet one of the following requirements:

• Have no prior Accrued Seasons in the NFL (An accrued season is six or more games on the active roster);
• Have one prior Accrued Season in which the player was on the 45-man active roster for no more than 8 games;
• Each club will be permitted to sign a maximum of 2 Practice Squad players who have earned no more than 2 accrued seasons of free agency credit;
• If served two seasons on a practice squad, are eligible for a third season only if the team has at least 53 players on its active/inactive list for the duration of that player's employment.
• A player has served one season on the practice squad if he is on the practice squad for at least 6 games. The rule previously required 3 games on the practice squad roster.

The Steelers now have the freedom to make any additions or subtractions to their 53-man roster as the team prepares for their first regular season game against the New England Patriots Thursday in Foxborough, MA.