The Pittsburgh Steelers bolstered their roster by adding former Buffalo Bills running back Karlos Williams, the younger brother of Steelers linebacker Vince Williams, to the roster on Wednesday.

However, more moves might be on the horizon for Pittsburgh.

October 13th marks an important NFL date, as players on Injured Reserve (IR) or the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP) can start their journey back to a club’s active roster, provided the conditions listed below.

The following is taken from the NFL’s policy regarding players on the PUP list:

Beginning on the sixth calendar day prior to a club’s seventh regular season game (including any bye week) and continuing through the day after the conclusion of the 11th regular season weekend, clubs are permitted to begin practicing players on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform and Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness for a period not to exceed 21 days.

Players may be activated during the 21-day practice period, or prior to 400 p.m., New York time, on the day after the conclusion of the 21-day period, provided that no player may be activated to participate in a Week 6 game.

The following is taken from the NFL’s policy regarding players on IR:

At any time after six weeks have elapsed since a player was placed on Reserve/Injured or Reserve/Non-Football Injury/Illness, each club is permitted to designate one player for return from either list to the club’s 53-player Active/Inactive List.

The player who is “Designated For Return” must have suffered a major football-related or non-football-related injury after reporting to training camp and must have been placed on the applicable Reserve List after 400 p.m., New York time, on the day after the final roster reduction.

A player whom the club wishes to designate for return is permitted to return to practice for a period not to exceed 21 days. The club is required to notify the League office that the player has been “Designated For Return” on the first day the player begins to practice. The player cannot be returned to the Active/Inactive List until eight weeks have elapsed since the date he was placed on Reserve.

This opens the door for the Steelers to make two potential moves within the next week.

Bud Dupree

Dupree was placed on the Injured Reserve list following the final roster cuts, making him eligible to be designated to return. This season, the designation rule was changed: teams are no longer required to announce the designation in advance, and only need to make the designation when the player is ready to resume practicing.

Since Dupree’s placement on IR occurred following camp, he would be eligible to return the earliest, from the players Pittsburgh have placed on the list.

Other players who could return this season include CB Senquez Golson, and T Ryan Harris. However, a team is only permitted to designate one player; that player must spend at least six weeks on injured reserve before they can be designated. That player is then eligible for addition to the active roster, and play in a game, two weeks later.

For Golson or Harris, they would not be eligible to return until late November; and play in Pittsburgh’s final five regular season games.

This makes the case for Dupree’s return much more likely, if it’s possible. Updates on Dupree’s health have been all but non-existent to this point, but if he is able to return, a target date could be November 6th, as the Steelers have a bye in Week 8, before traveling to Baltimore to play the Ravens in Week 9.

Dupree would be far more valuable to have available for a maximum of 9 games, than Golson or Harris’ 5 game scenario, should the linebacker’s health have improved in the best-case scenario.

Even if it takes several more weeks, it would still appear that Dupree, if he can play this season, would be the player designated to return, as he would have to miss all of November as well, in order for the team to possibly consider bringing back Golson or Harris.

This means the Steelers have plenty of time to decide on whom they use their IR designation on.

Ladarius Green

The prized free agent acquisition turned forgotten man could also return soon, and be on a football field as early as next week’s game against the New England Patriots.

Whether the Steelers will work Green out, and activate him, is another dilemma all it’s own.

Signed to be the replacement for the retired Heath Miller, Pittsburgh has instead coasted without Green, riding the success of second-year tight end Jesse James, and underdog Xavier Grimble.

James and Grimble have combined for 5 touchdown catches thus far this season, and haven’t been a liability to the offense, as many were originally concerned they could be.

This has made Green an afterthought at the tight end position, yet, it’s a banged-up wide receiver corps that may need Green’s presence.

The Steelers are facing a number of injuries at receiver: in fact, Antonio Brown is the only player to have not suffered an injury in 2016. Markus Wheaton sat out several games to start the season, with a shoulder injury. That injury was re-aggravated in Sunday’s win over the Jets.

Darrius Heyward-Bey is “healthy” but was also questionable heading into the same game on Sunday.

Eli Rogers has been nursing a toe injury, ruled out for the last two games after being seen in a walking boot. (He was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and hopeful to return on Sunday.)

Sammie Coates, this year’s surprise by far, received 7 stitches in his hand during halftime of the Jets game, due to a laceration.

Cobi Hamilton remains on the Steelers practice squad, yet it’s Green who may be needed to start taking reps soon. In San Diego last season, Ladarius played over 60% of his snaps from the slot: the position occupied by Eli Rogers in the Steelers first three games this year.

With the receiver corps wounded, the Steelers may have to shuffle the deck.

I wouldn’t surmise that there’s pressure to get the higher-priced Green on the field soon (as there may be on other NFL franchises) but I would surmise the thought of adding the quick, big target as another component of the Steelers offensive arsenal has been thought of since he was signed.

I don’t see Green making an instant impact, i.e. against the Patriots, but he could be gently eased into the Steelers as he builds a rapport with Ben Roethlisberger, and gets back into “football shape”.

As with Dupree, the Steelers won’t have to rush Green into their plans. Since he would not be eligible to play in a game until Week 7’s contest against the Patriots, Pittsburgh will likely hold off until next week, before we hear any news as to whether or not Green will start practicing again.

In either case, the returns of Dupree and Green could shift the Steelers recent “next man up” mentality into another gear, as both players could end up bringing their various talents onto the field in time for a serious second half playoff run.