Steelers Roster Decisions or 53 Good Men

doesn’t make this team. Last year we kept 5 running backs in name only; Stefan Logan was listed there. Seeing how Vincent will never get into games, his value as a back up for our back up is much less than say, a special teams specialist (Logan, Madison), or even a back up for our back up at qb, in my opinion a more pivotal position, although I do agree that Charlie won’t make this squad. Personally, I have 10 dbs making the team, as Gay is our only experienced nickel and Lewis, who is the only other db outside of our starters that has been mentioned as possibly game ready, has primarily been working on the outside.

doesn’t make this team. Last year we kept 5 running backs in name only; Stefan Logan was listed there. Seeing how Vincent will never get into games, his value as a back up for our back up is much less than say, a special teams specialist (Logan, Madison), or even a back up for our back up at qb, in my opinion a more pivotal position, although I do agree that Charlie won’t make this squad. Personally, I have 10 dbs making the team, as Gay is our only experienced nickel and Lewis, who is the only other db outside of our starters that has been mentioned as possibly game ready, has primarily been working on the outside.

QB: i think it’s far too risky only carrying 2 qb’s for 4 games. I have a feeling batch will end up on the IR magically when ben comes back.

RB: i’ve been hearing mixed reviews about summers. yes he’s been doing well, but he’s not a good of a RB as moore, redman, and rashard & not as good of a FB as legursky or david johnson. and he’s not as good as a special teamer as other players. yes, he’s young and he has potential but he wouldn’t be dressing on sundays unless there was an injury anyways so I think he ends up on the PS. vincent ain’t gonna be on this team. logan will be our 4th rb.

WR: battle won’t be cut after he just got a 900K signing bonus. and i’ll admit i didn’t watch the game (just read reviews) but i’m not sure why everyone thinks brown did outstanding returning balls. yes he did alright…aka average. but logan still outperformed him during the game with kick off returns per the numbers (punt returns are not logan’s strong suits and brown did do better with that). maybe I just want logan to be on the team too badly. london isn’t PS eligible.

DE: I agree with your take.

DB: with rumors that 2 of our young CB’s playing some safety and not hearing how mundy is looking great (or bad) i wonder if mundy might be the one who could end up on the chopping block.

I agree with those that say Charlie is history. He is not the 54 or even the 60th best player. They will sign a rookie/1st year player to the PS to run the scout team. Charlie is a phone call away if needed. ARE is the emergency QB.

Logan will be cut. He is not a WR. He runs back KO, and muffs punts, can’t even do both.

I hope they keep Madison. He is a difference maker on ST.

Flozel needs to show something to even make the roster, let alone start. He sucked in both games. Hills looked better, but he makes the team only if Flozel is cut.

Pouncey will start on Sept 12th. The question they need to answer is Hartwirg better at C than Essex is at RG. Pouncey will play in one of the spots.

Eason is cut only if they keep 10 OL. The extra big man the last few years has been DL. Eason is steady, but no upside. Worthington goes to PS. Sonny makes the roster.

WR – Ward, Wallace, ARE, Sanders and Brown are locks. Battle makes it if they keep only 2 QB’s. Sanders does not dress if Brown is the return man.

RB – Mendy, Moore, Redman, Tank make the roster. Vincent is history. Dwyer is PS.

Gay is on the bubble. Especially if Lewis is showing as muchas he has.

I can definitely see us only keeping Dixon and Lefty while Big Ben is suspended and using the roster spot to keep a rookie at another position. By the time Ben is reactivated there will no doubt be a guy headed to Injured Reserve who’s slot we can use to add Ben.

On the other up in the air situations, regardless of how others have played I doubt William Gay gets cut. He had a rough season last year but the previous year, as a nickelDB and a part time starter (alongside Troy) he looked excellent. I can see hm playing for another team this year but surely they’d look to trade him before entertaining the idea of cutting him. If they can’t trade him I reckon he stays on the roster and probably they try to sneak Butler through waivers to the PS. Basically, if there isn’t anyone out there willing to give up a 7th rounder for Gay, no-one’s going to be too bothered about Crezdon Butler either.

Runningbacks, with our 3rd TE capable of being a FB as well I don’t see us keeping more than 4 RBs. For me it’ll be Mendy, Moore, Redman and Summers. Summers because of his versatility. Vincent’s unluckly but thems the breaks. Try and keep Dwyer on the Practice Squad. I’m sure he’ll be required at some point.

Wideouts, Logan’s the toughest call. I’d rather go with what we know on returns but Brown has very definite ability as a wide receiver but at the moment he’s rough and he probably would not dress as a pure WR. If Brown makes the squad as a returner, it might be Sanders who doesn’t dress on game day. It’s a really tough scenario. Sanders seems like the better WR right now but Brown probably has more upside as an explosive player. If they go with 6 WRs Battle will definitely be one of them, and if he is he’ll dress over Sanders as well. I wouldn’t like to call this one but Brown has probably made Logan expendable, and probably tradeable.

Here’s my attempt at a 53:

QB (2): Leftwich, Dixon
RB (4): Mendy, Moore, Redman, Summers
WR (6): Ward, Wallace, Randle-El, Sanders, Brown, Battle
TE (3): Miller, Spaeth, Johnson
OL (9): Kemo, Starks, Pouncey, Hartwig, Legursky, Foster, Essex, Adams, Scott (I’d keep Hills at the moment but Kugler will probably prefer Scott)
DL (7): Hampton, Hoke, Hood, A Smith, Kiesel, Harris, Eason
LB (9): Woodley, Harrison, Foote, Farrior, Timmons, Gibson, Fox, Worilds, Sylvester (Sly needs work but worth keeping IMO)
CB (6): Taylor, McFadden, Gay, Lewis, Burnett, Madison
S (4): Polamalu, Clarke, Mundy, Allen
Specialists (3): Warren, Reed, Sepulveda

we cut too many special teamers in favour of rookies last year and it cost us games. I think we’ll keep a strong core of special teamers this year so I have Madison over Butler and I’m keeping Battle.
Trade bait: Logan, Eason, Gay. Harris looks to be solid at least this year so I don’t have too many qualms about moving him up the depth chart and having him dress on gameday. Eason is a guy who should garner some interest from 3-4 convert teams around the league. He’s a solid performer and better IMO than a few guys other teams have starting at the position (oh hai Denver!)

I know ARE is a sentimental fave and can do a little bit of everything (#3 QB, PR, WR, etc.), so I suppose he stays, although I personally don’t think he makes a great #3 WR for this O (like Wallace last year or N Washington before, or Sweed (doh!) if he could get healthy) … but I also can’t see Steelers dressing 2 rookies at WR. There’s been some good press on London as ST stud who could also make noise at #3/4 WR.

If Brown replaces Logan as KR, so be it … but I’d try to keep Battle and/or London on the roster if ARE sticks as our #3 WR.