Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers reportedly placed claim on waived tight end Tim Wright

Published Jun. 15, 2015 6:40 p.m. ET

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The Steelers were reportedly interested in adding depth at tight end when Tim Wright was waived by New England last week.

Pittsburgh was one of 10 teams to put in a claim for Wright, according to ESPN.com's Field Yates. Wright performed well as the Patriots' second tight end last season behind Rob Gronkowski, but was squeezed out by the acquisition of ex-Bills TE Scott Chandler.

Wright caught 26 balls for 259 yards and six touchdowns in 2014, a dropoff from an impressive rookie season that saw him record 54 receptions for 571 yards and five scores for the Buccaneers, who won the claim for Wright's services. Wright was dealt last season to New England in exchange for Logan Mankins.

At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Wright would have been a welcomed addition next to veteran Heath Miller. Matt Spaeth is used almost exclusively in the run game, leaving rookie Jesse James and 2014 seventh-round pick Rob Blanchflower as Ben Roethlisberger's next best targets. James, a fifth-rounder out of Penn State, has the potential to be a red-zone target at 6-foot-7 and 261 pounds.

If the Steelers' claim of Wright was successful, Wright would've become the second ex-Patriot to land in Pittsburgh this offseason. Undrafted rookie Devin Gardner is now working out with the Steelers after initially signing with New England.

h/t: Behind The Steel Curtain