I started thinking about the units without trying to predict what they're thinking-- just going by who can play, thinking about position group by position group, and thinking of STs as it's own position group. I tried to think about it like an editor-- cut anything that's not vital and concise and important. This process made picking the roster incredibly low-drama. I think there are two, maybe 3 spots up for grabs, barring a move to sign a CB or TE off the street that could challenge for playing time.

Here are my thoughts:

QB (3): Ben, Laundry, Dobbs. I would love a former NFL starter like Colt McCoy, but it is what it is. Could Dobbs play 3 series in a key game b/c of injury? Hope we never have to find out.

RB (4): Bell, Conner, Watson, Nix. I'm not going to lose any sleep over cutting Toussaint. Knile Davis sucks as an RB, especially for this team. Watson is a pretty good fit.

WR (5): AB, Bryant, Rogers, Juju, Coates The only WRs I would care about losing, from a WR standpoint

TE (3): JJ, X, DJ I don't really see JJ getting better, and it concerns me that they don't seem to challenge his position on the team. I'd already be playing Grimble more in passing situations. Good and known unknowns have created an entrenched position to rival the Somme. They'd literally have to sign an established vet like Green or draft a guy in 1st couple of rounds next year, otherwise Jesse James won't be challenged nor upgraded.

OL (9): AV, Foster, Pouncey, DD, Gilbert, Finney, Hubbard, Feiler, Hawkins Hubbard is a solid backup, Feiler isn't PS eligible and was our best backup OL this preseason. Finney keeps a job because he can snap the football, even though OC is not really a good fit for him. Hawkins has too much potential under a guy like Munchak... can't risk losing him. Bear in mind: Hawkins was on IR last year, meaning he's only had minicamps and some training camp working with Munchak.

O (24)

DL (6): Heyward, Hargrave, Tuitt, Alualu, LT, Maxey Big Dan has played really well recently, but there's not enough room for him.

OLB (5): Watt, Dupree, Deebo, Chickillo, Moats Moats and Chickillo are pretty decent depth. The first three are going to see the bulk of the time.

ILB (4): VW, Shazier, Fort, Matakevich I'd be scanning cuts for a potential replacement for Matakevich-- keep an eye out for a Hybrid LB/S type that could play in dime.

S (5): Mitchell, Davis, Gay, Dangerfield, Hagen I pray Mitchell is healthy week 1. If not, there's a chance he's IR designated for return and we see more of Robert Golden

CB (6): Burns, Sensabaugh, Cockrell, Sutton, Allen, Hilton you have to keep the two new guys with promise and upside, you pretty much have to keep the two journeyman vets for experience. If Hilton doesn't make the team, there's no justice, but I guess it's possible. Id be starting him in the slot and Sutton at #2 CB Week 1.

D (26)

STs (6)

Holba, Berry, Boswell, Trey Williams, DHB, Brandon Dixon

I tried to include anyone I think fills an important role, could be on offense, defense, situational football, or STs. It wasn't particularly painful to cut anyone I cut, like Steven Johnson, Robert Golden, Cobi Hamilton, Justin Hunter, Knile Davis. Ayers is a tough luck cut, but just tough to make the club from he tub at the wrong moment.

So, that's 56. To me, the top STs guys are DHB, Coates, Nix, Chickillo, Moats, Watt, Malik Golden, DJ, Dangerfield, Allen, Grimble, Trey Williams, Knile Davis, Brandon Dixon, & Mike HIlton, Fort. Those guys get priority when deciding about bubble guys.

Who can go to practice squad? This is another factor. If a bubble guy is PS eligible and you know he's going to make it through waivers, practice with your team every day, and be there if you need him... well, there ya go.

So, three guys who are PS eligible at deep positions? Make my last 3 cuts: Brandon Dixon (3 others of the 4 top gunners make it), Terrell Watson (deserving to make the 53 but will land on the PS if anything happens to Bell or Conner), and Jacob Hagen, who loses out on to the versatility and experience of William Gay (this could change if Mitchell isn't ready to play week 1). It wouldn't shock me to see the latter two guys go to PS and then be on the 53 at some point later in the year.

As a bonus, I think you'll see Golson cut and signed to PS... provided he is healthy enough to practice before cuts.

Revised after Colts game.

QB
QB Joshua Dobbs
QB Landry Jones
QB Ben Roethlisberger

TE
TE Xavier Grimble
TE Jesse James
TE David Johnson

RB
RB Le'Veon Bell
RB James Conner
RB Terrell Watson
FB Roosevelt Nix

WR
WR Antonio Brown
WR Martavis Bryant
WR Sammie Coates
WR Eli Rogers
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

OLine
RG David DeCastro
IOL Matt Feiler
IOL BJ Finney
LG Ramon Foster
RT Marcus Gilbert
OT Jerald Hawkins
OT Chris Hubbard
OC Maurkice Pouncey
LT Alejandro Villanueva

DLine
DE Tyson Alualu
DT Javon Hargrave
DE Cam Heyward
DT Johnny Maxey
DE Stephon Tuitt
DT LT Walton

LB
OLB Anthony Chickillo
OLB Bud Dupree
ILB LJ Fort
OLB James Harrison
ILB Tyler Matakevich
OLB Arthur Moats
ILB Ryan Shazier
OLB TJ Watt
ILB Vince Williams

Secondary
CB Brian Allen
CB Artie Burns
CB Ross Cockrell
SS Jordan Dangerfield
SS Sean Davis
FS Jacob Hagen
CB Mike Hilton
FS Mike Mitchell
CB Coty Sensabaugh
CB Cam Sutton

Specialist
P Jordan Berry
K Chris Boswell
LS Colin Holba
RS/RB Trey Williams

Practice Squad
OLB Keion Adams
OG Ethan Cooper
ILB Matt Galambos
OLB Farrington Huguenin
DE Francis Kallon
TE Jack McGee
OT Brian Mihalik
CB DaShaun Phillips
FA/
FA/

The safety depth is quite alarming to me. Inside linebacker is in close second. Tight end closer third. Still think the land a couple of FA's for practice squad. We'll see after game #4.

Adams is on IR.

Who do we have different? I have Willie Gay + DHB and you have...?

edit: ah, you have Terrell Watson and only 52

Perhaps it's a waste to hope they find a FA safety after cuts to bring on board but that's where I'm at. That or I just put Dangerfield's name up there already.

They won't cut Hunter.

They will find a way to put Tousaint on the roster.

Hope you are incorrect Kodiak. Toussaint is piece of shit barely mediocre and now injured. No thanks. Hunter may have a shot. The camp phenom is about to get released IMO. Hasn't done anything where it matters in game. Practicing good is one thing. Translating that practice to the real game is another. Hunter better show something in game #4.

I hope not to both of those. Heres why.

Fitz has zero upside. Id keep Watson and Williams before him.

I like the idea of carrying 6 WR but not at the expense of 9 OL or 4 or 5 RB

Hunter is a lead-pipe lock. Not sure of the extend of Touisant's injury.

But, once again, people are arguing over marginal bubble players who are very unlikely to matter. A deal was made with Hunter - he's on the roster. And Tomlin likes to impart vet depth where he can.

There's your answer.....They'll carry 4 RB (and rarely carry 5).

Also, people unnecessarily hyperventilate about ST. If you send a guy to PS, he can only be poached if he's put on the 53. That's rare.

3
QB Joshua Dobbs
QB Landry Jones
QB Ben Roethlisberger

3
TE Xavier Grimble
TE Jesse James
TE David Johnson

5
RB Le'Veon Bell
RB James Conner
RB Terrell Watson
RB Trey Williams
FB Roosevelt Nix

5
WR Antonio Brown
WR Martavis Bryant
WR Sammie Coates
WR Eli Rogers
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

9
RG David DeCastro
IOL Matt Feiler
IOL BJ Finney
LG Ramon Foster
RT Marcus Gilbert
OT Jerald Hawkins
OT Chris Hubbard
OC Maurkice Pouncey
LT Alejandro Villanueva
..................................................................25



6
DE Tyson Alualu
DT Javon Hargrave
DE Cam Heyward
DT Johnny Maxey
DE Stephon Tuitt
DT LT Walton

9
OLB Anthony Chickillo
OLB Bud Dupree
ILB LJ Fort
OLB James Harrison
ILB Tyler Matakevich
OLB Arthur Moats
ILB Ryan Shazier
OLB TJ Watt
ILB Vince Williams

10
CB Brian Allen
CB Artie Burns
CB Ross Cockrell
SS Sean Davis
FS Jacob Hagen
CB Mike Hilton
FS Mike Mitchell
CB Coty Sensabaugh
CB Cam Sutton
SS Jordan Dangerfield
.......................................................................25

ST
P Jordan Berry
K Chris Boswell
LS Colin Holba
.........................................................................3

I'd be willing to bet that the Steelers, most teams likely, put more stock in what they see in practice than exhibition games.

But should you for bubble players?!?

If Hunter is a lock who don't you keep?

Good question...and I don't know the answer. But consider that usually your bubble players are going against the opponents bubble players, are you getting a fair gauge on what they're capable of?
I'm just saying that it's possible that you can evaluate more from seeing a guy perform at practice every day than for 15 minutes in a practice game.
Put it this way...if we knew nothing of Artie Burns other than what we witnessed against the Colts Saturday night, would he be on the bubble?

Hunter got two whole snaps last weekend. He's getting cut.

I have honestly come to hate Danny Smith. Every year we get into these debates about how important special teams are, how Smith needs this player (Bey) or that player (Steven Johnson), or even this player (Sammie Coates). Yet, year after year the special teams are underwhelming and always seem to fail us when we need them the most. We witness bizarre stunts like Boz trying to do a fancy onside kick, or Landry Jones trying to do a pass off a fake field goal which gets intercepted. Never mind that he never really holds for the the snap, talk about telegraphing that play a mile a way. If Smith did not have Antonio Brown what would our returns be like? The kickoff returns have been bad for years and Brown has become less and less effective on punts with time. What is Smith doing really? How does he make things better? I just don't see it.

I have the same feeling for Danny Smith that I used to have for Sean Kugler. Kugler was the offensive line coach who left for college football. I was never impressed with him or his coaching or the results we had on the offensive line. The guy we replaced him with was Jack Bicknell Jr and he was even worse. Danny Smith for me is Kugler, is Bicknell Jr, he just does not impress me. I want the Steelers to send him packing and hire a real special teams coach, a Mike Munchak level/great special teams coach if you will.

Danny Smith could have Devin Hester in his prime as a punt/kick returner and not know what to do with him.

Why can't Brian Allen be the one who is active on game days to be the gunner and special teamer? If Bryant, Brown, Rogers and JuJu are all active Bey is not going to see the field on offense. Wouldn't it be better to have Allen get a hat on game day and play special teams and develop confidence and work on his tackling and getting familiar with the speed of the game? What can Bey do that Allen could not as a gunner? Bey missed time last season and in this past preseason game he came up gimpy on a catch. Will he even be able to play without missing time?

Smith wants his vets so that he does not have to coach as much it seems to me. Too damn bad, that is your job. I see other teams start and play rookies on special teams and they do pretty well, we have to do the same. Enough with these vets, with these charity cases that really aren't all that impressive on special teams to begin with.

Good points.
I think it's time to admit the same regarding the secondary and Carnel Lake. Let's all remove our heads from the "he's a great Steeler" asscheeks and admit that this guy is a poor coach. The facts are staring us right in the mug...wide open receivers, poor tackling, miscommunication, players out of position...etc. How long do we let this go on?

Don't be shocked when DHB and Touissant both make roster with STs given as reason.

I think DHB has been a decent vet depth while here but think it's time to move on. Would prefer Hamilton or Hunter as a 6th WR if they keep that many.

Brown, Bryant, Rogers, Coats, Juju are my 5

Touissant has zero upside IMO and should be cut. Extremely mediocre RB. Keeping him for his "return abilities" is a joke...

Maybe you don't go backyards from 1st & goal at the 1 if you have a guys like Watson running full steam ahead...

I think DHB is good enough as a gunner to earn him a spot-- I'd rank our gunners as: DHB-Coates-Allen-Dixon. Dixon is probably not going to make it because of just too many ahead of him in the pecking order. So maybe three on the 53 for two jobs.

Thing is: I think you'd like to have some flexibility for who gets a hat on the 53, thus having three great gunners is kind of crucial.

The Steelers STs are always horrible. That attitude comes from the top.

I wouldnt ditch Lake until all the returns come in on Davis and Burns. He hasnt had much to work with.

We haven't had good special teams since Cowher ran off Bobby April.

Yep...and hes been great elsewhere