The Pittsburgh Steelers will have until Tuesday to cut their roster from 90 to 75 players but I expect they will probably do it a bit sooner than that. After last night’s loss, we are taking on the 53-man roster projection again. Here goes…
OFFENSE (25) Quarterbacks (2) – Ben Roethlisberger, Bruce Gradowski
Running Backs (3) – Le’Veon Bell, LeGarrette Blount, Dri Archer Fullback (1) – Will Johnson
Wide Receivers (6) – Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, Lance Moore, Justin Brown, Martavis Bryant, Darrius Heyward-Bey
Tight Ends (4) – Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth, Michael Palmer, Eric Waters
Linemen (9) – Maurkice Pouncey, Ramon Foster, David DeCastro, Marcus Gilbert, Kelvin Beachum, Cody Wallace, Mike Adams, Guy Whimper, Wesley Johnson
HERE’S OUR THINKING:Â As much as I don’t think Mike Tomlin will do it, we’re getting Landry Jones off the roster and onto the practice squad. He’s wasting a roster spot this team could clearly use. I also believe Mike Munchak will get his way and get a ninth offensive lineman on the roster. I believe it will eventually be a free agent, but for now we’re adding a current player.
DEFENSE (25)
Defensive Line (7) – Steve McLendon, Cam Heyward, Cam Thomas, Stephon Tuitt, Josh Mauro, Daniel McCullers, Brett Keisel
Linebackers (9) – Lawrence Timmons, Ryan Shazier, Jason Worilds, Jarvis Jones, Arthur Moats, Vince Williams, Sean Spence, Howard Jones, Terence Garvin
Defensive Backs (9) – Troy Polamalu, Mike Mitchell, Shamarko Thomas, Robert Golden, Ike Taylor, William Gay, Cortez Allen, Antwon Blake, Brice McCain
HERE’S OUR THINKING:Â The obvious move here is bringing in Brett Keisel and taking Brian Arnfelt off. Sean Spence suffered a PCL injury to his non-surgically repaired knee in Philly but it’s thought right now that it’s a sprain. This will limit him for a few weeks potentially. He still makes the roster though.
SPECIALISTS (3) Punter (1) –Â Brad Wing Kicker (1) – Shaun Suisham Long Snapper (1) – Luke Ingram
HERE’S OUR THINKING:Â The Steelers are clearly sticking with Wing and since signing his new deal Shaun Suisham has been brutal but the job is his. I’m guessing Greg Warren is out another four weeks so that may mean the PUP list for him.
Marc Uhlmann writes for and co-owns www.steelcityblitz.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteelDad and the website @SCBlitz. Check us out on Facebook at facebook.com/steelcityblitz and on Fancred.com. You can hear him weekly during the season on Trib-Live Radio
14 comments
Looking at the current roster i just can’t help but see the weak spot as the secondary. And i still don’t get why so many TE’s. One other note, this week i have lost a bunch of respect for coach tomlin, ultimately he is in control of this team and he’s just not doing a very good job in all phases.
Bob just cool out man. 4 TE’s is a need cause you never know when either Miller or Spaeth get hurt and Steeldad I disagree with your picks for the 3rd and 4th TE spots. I have Blanchflower and Paulson n the roster. I truly believe that all of the Steelers 2014 draft picks make the roster including Richardson despite what has gone on to this point. I see 5 Safeties to only 4 CB’s. The thinking there is you will see more of Golden, Dangerfield and Thomas this season. All in all I can’t argue with to much on your updated version of the roster.
Ok i’ll chill out and continue to root for the Steelers but my opinions will not change. 1, Todd Haley can’t coach he doesn’t have the back ground 2, We continue to draft poorly 3, They are the Steelers but as this team sits they are average and it doesn’t have to be that way. 4, pardon me if i don’t cheer for drug users who are role models for our children.
Won’t they need an extra running back to prepare for the possible suspensions of Bell and Blount?
This team has too many off field issues. Unfortunately, the famed ‘Steeler Tradition’ is fading a bit.
1.Haley can coach he just thinks he is just being told what to do by ART II. 2.They have done a fir job of drafting in the last few years it’s just difficult for the guys to adjust to the system. 3.Okay so the last 2 years were not great but trust Ben in what he is doing with the offense. Please what Bell and Blount did is minor compared to rest of civilization and by that I mean what Ray Rice has done and how Josh Gordon who is talented but has more screws loose in his head than Bell and Blount combined. Finally for the Defense I will say this I mean it: There will be times where the D will look like there supposed to and there will be times where you will scratch your head and wonder why are playing like this, they need to gel and that don’t come overnight believe me if it was that easy then we would have nothing to worry about. Look the point is to believe in the team and trust that they know what there doing. If you don’t than that’s your choice to make.
Let me jump in here… If we’ve learned anything from Holmes to Harrison to Ben to the Bong Brothers, we know the Steelers are not immune from the problems that plague the rest of the league. As far as the tight ends, I really do like Blanchflower but I just don’t know if the coaches have seen enough of him to keep him. The number of tight ends will depend strictly on how they want to use Mike Adams. Remember, Haley used him as a tight end on occasion last season.
In terms of the running backs, in all likelihood, any discipline won’t happen until 2015. The Steelers could handle things themselves and suspend them for a game or two but I don’t think you’ll see that happen. If they sign a decent free agent back in the next couple of days then you can plan on Bell and Blount being disciplined by the team sooner rather than later.
The name on that list that has to go is Mr. Taylor. Last year it was yike not Ike, and this year the joke isn’t funny anymore.
Paul, while I know the Steelers will not cut Ike, I know you aren’t alone in your thinking. He hasn’t looked any better than he did last season. That said, he’s still the first or second best corner on the roster which tells you all you need to know about the state of the secondary.
Paul have you lost your mind? If you cut Ike then Cortez and Gay are the top 2 CB’s on this team and I dare you to tell me that they can get the job done. Your not going to find anyone for cheap on the FA market. Yes Ike has his troubles but I have faith in him even if you guys don’t.
I agree somewhat with the 53 man projected team. I especially like the 7 defensive lineman, and 9 linebackers, though if not for injury I would have liked to see more of Jordan Zumwalt, hopefully he will clear and be signed to the practice squad. I do like Howard Jones a lot, and can see him really developing into something special given the time to learn more of the defense/playbook. I also like keeping Josh Muaro as he and Tuitt, along with Heyward could be a force for years to come, let them be mentored this year by Brett Kiesel and watch them flourish. Cam Thomas will be helpful as rotational guy, and I am interested to see how he progresses. I though Josh Mauro and Howard Jones were excellent pick ups for unrestricted free agent, though I would have liked to see them pick up another CB or two, such as Quo Cox out of Jackson State who is a good cover corner, who can support the run, as well as possibly Marcus Roberson out of Florida, yes I know he had some off the field issues, but with the 4th and 5th secondary guys that are currently on the roster he could have been an upgrade and has potential, and if he couldn’t cut it, nothing really lost.
In terms of the offensive side of the ball, I agree Landry Jones was a mistake, as was giving up a third round pick in this years draft, Shamarko Thomas would have still been there where Landry Jones was chose. Personally I would have rather had the third round pick this year, and drafted one of the QB’s from this years draft class in the fourth or fifth round, or even Mettenberger in the sixth, who definitely has more upside than Landry Jones. I still think the Steelers have drafted fairly well over the last two years, with my notable exception of Jones. Four of the first 5 picks from the 2013 draft are going to be starters or contributors to this years team, as well as the 2 sixth round picks in Justin Brown and Vince Williams. So not for nothing, getting 6 team contributors out of a possible 9 isn’t that bad. This years draft class is a work in progress but off to a good start. Ryan Shazier, has been a pleasant surprise, and Stephon Tuitt was a steal, I would have loved to have keep the third round pick this year and either taken Louis Nix, or traded it for Houstons 4-1, 5-1, and hoping for 6-1, possibly giving up the 7th round pick for it, and still picked up Dri Archer, Jordan Zumwalt and Daniel McCullers. With those additional picks I would have loved to have chosen a CB in the 4th round, Jaylen Watkins, Boushard Breeland, Ross Cockrell, or possibly traded back a little and gained another 4th next year and picked up Keith McGill out of Utah. Then Mettenberger with the 6-1 pick, and possibly traded back up to get Pierre DeSir in the bottom of the fourth. I am not the GM of course, so my hopes and thoughts don’t account for much on that forum, but you can still dream, hahaha. I also would have liked to have picked up Seantrell Henderson the big Left Tackle in the 7th, as I think Rob Blanchflower could have been picked up as an unrestricted free agent given his number of injuries in college and limited playing time and overall numbers. If the Steelers would have picked up Henderson in the 7th, he may actually have helped to either create more motivation and inspired play out of Mike Adams, or been a viable option to replace him, as Munchak would have definitely coached him up very well. In terms of the draft this year to have possibly 4-5 contributors (Shazier, Tuitt, Archer, Bryant, McCullers, and possibly Wesley Johnson) in their first year is pretty good as well. Just a few of my thoughts, go Steelers, stay positive, cohesion will obtained with time.
Oh on further evaluation of the projected roster for TE, I highly doubt the Steelers will keep for TE, when they are trying to make Will Johnson more flexible and potential option there as well, so personally I would think they would keep 3 pure TE along with Johnson as a potential 4.
From the Defensive line side, I also like the potential that McCullers brings to the NT position, given his size, and strength, he too can be coached up and be a force for years to come.
Two reasons we leaned with four tight ends. First off is that’s what Tomlin has done with Haley on board but the real reason is that we aren’t sure about the plan with Mike Adams and the health of Will Johnson is a question too. Let’s pray we don’t see Adams running routes as he did last season but he will potentially be used as a run blocking tight end.
As for Johnson, he’s already missed some time during the preseason and if he goes down, then then you’ll need a tight end to play that position/H-Back position. Things might be more clear up for us after this week.
Look when a guy like Hampton is gone you just don’t expect to replace him. It’s not that easy. 4 TE’s is a fair number considering how 1 injury can mess you up with 3 TE’s at that spot. We can debate CB until were all black and gold in the face but the Steelers choose to picks CB’s the way they do it whether we like or not as fans.