The Pittsburgh Steelers mostly forgettable preseason ended with a thud last night in Carolina, as the team lost to the Panthers 18-6 in a contest that can be described with one word — dreadful.
Granted, even though the final preseason game against the Panthers was a who’s who of players who won’t make the 53-man roster, let alone make an impact this regular season, it did not change the fact that this game was flat-out dismal.
So what was accomplished in a game featuring two of the favorites to represent their conferences in the Super Bowl this season? More than anything, it was a last chance for players fighting to make their case to make the regular season roster or be one of the 10 players chosen for the practice squad.
Now that the Steelers can finally focus on their regular season opener against the Washington Redskins next Monday night, let’s make a final prediction on what the final 53-man roster might look like.
Quarterbacks (3): Ben Roethlisberger, Landry Jones, Zach Mettenberger.
No real mysteries here. Mettenberger will need time to learn the system, but is an obvious upgrade over Bryn Renner.
Running backs (4): DeAngelo Williams, Fitzgerald Toussaint, Daryl Richardson, Roosevelt Nix (Fullback).
Obviously Le’Veon Bell will rejoin the team after three weeks, but expect the Steelers to keep both Toussaint and Richardson early. It’s possible that Cameron Stingily might be added to the practice squad for additional depth.
Wide receivers (5): Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, Eli Rogers, Sammie Coates, Darrius Hayward-Bey.
Rogers has done enough to hold off rookie Demarcus Ayers for a roster spot. Expect Ayers to be added to the practice squad and don’t be surprised if Cobi Hamilton gets some real consideration to join Ayers in that group.
Tight ends (3): Jesse James, David Johnson, Xavier Grimble.
With Ladarius Green out for at least the first six weeks of the season, the team will lean on Jesse James and David Johnson to do the brunt of the work. Grimble is someone the Steelers really want to succeed, but he’s probably not ready to contribute. He needs to keep proving he’s worth a spot to keep it once Green is activated. Mt. Lebanon product Paul Lang has had a good camp, but can only hope for a practice squad bid.
Offensive line (9): Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, Ramon Foster, Alejandro Villanueva, Marcus Gilbert, Ryan Harris, Cody Wallace, Chris Hubbard, B.J. Finney.
There was some speculation that rookie tackle Matt Feiler might sneak onto the roster, but Hubbard’s ability to play all five positions on the line in a pinch and the continued development of Finney will leave him on the practice squad. This is a deep group.
Defensive line (6): Stephon Tuitt, Cameron Heyward, Javon Hargrave, Daniel McCullers, L.T. Walton, Ricardo Mathews.
Keep an eye on Hargrave. The rookie has a chance to be a special player and might bump the lethargic McCullers out of the starting lineup earlier than some expect.
Inside linebackers (6) Lawrence Timmons, Ryan Shazier, Vince Williams, Steven Johnson, L.J. Fort, Tyler Matakevich.
Part of me believes the team would consider going with five here and keep an additional safety like Jordan Dangerfield, but Johnson and Fort are both experienced vets who can start in a pinch and are outstanding special teams players. Camp darling Matakevich won’t clear waivers, and the team is rightfully high on him as a player.
Outside linebackers (5): James Harrison, Jarvis Jones, Arthur Moats, Bud Dupree, Anthony Chickillo.
Expect the team to try and stash camp disappointment Travis Feeney on the practice squad, but don’t assume that’s going to happen.
Safety (4): Mike Mitchell, Robert Golden, Sean Davis, Shamarko Thomas.
The aforementioned Dangerfield is one of the few possibilities to sneak onto the roster as a “surprise.” He has spent four years in Steelers camp, and he’s been impressive. Dangerfield was all over the field last night (10 credited tackles) and personally, I’d strongly consider keeping him over Thomas. I’m not making the decisions, though, so I have to predict what the team will do. Lastly, can former Pitt standout Ray Vinopal snag a practice squad spot?
Cornerback (5): William Gay, Ross Cockrell, Doran Grant, Artie Burns, Senquez Golson.
If you believe Golson, he might be back sooner than first believed. I’m not a huge fan of keeping a roster spot for a player with a lisfranc injury, but for now, that’s likely what happens. However, don’t be surprised if the team is extremely active looking for viable options outside of the organization once all the teams make their cuts.
Specialists (3): Chris Boswell (K) Jordan Berry (P) Greg Warren (LS).
Solid trio that might be as good as the team has had in quite a while.
