John Malecki Waiting For Shot With Steelers

Former Pitt offensive lineman John Malecki got his first taste of the Pittsburgh Steelers last season as he was signed to the practice squad. Malecki is getting another shot with the team and could be in line to compete for a roster spot.

Malecki wasn't selected in the 2010 NFL Draft, but had brief stints with the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans before latching on to the Steelers this past season.

He was signed as a reserve/future contract this week for 2012 and he might even get a chance to be on the full-time roster:

Malecki, a former All-Big East selection, will probably begin training camp in July with an opportunity to earn a roster spot, partly because of the questions facing an injury-riddled offensive line that struggled to protect quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and failed to ignite a consistently effective running attack.

It's way too early to determine how much of a shot he has. Part of it will depend on what the Steelers do in the draft, free agency, and then who they decide to cut. But the fact that he was with the team last year on the practice squad might help.

Malecki was a former All-Big East lineman at Pitt.