Pittsburgh Steelers: Final Predictions for 53-Man Roster Cuts

On Saturday, the Pittsburgh Steelers must reduce their roster to 53 players, which means that the fourth and final preseason game, scheduled for Thursday, will be the last chance for those on the bubble to make a convincing case to stick around for the 2017 season.

Difficult decisions are ahead for Steelers coaches, especially for a team that had at most five available roster spots headed into the summer.

Based on what we know about Pittsburgh's veteran players, and what we have learned about everyone else through the course of training camp and the preseason, here is the latest projection of what the Steelers' 53-man roster could look like come this weekend. 

Quarterback

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

In: Ben Roethlisberger, Landry Jones, Joshua Dobbs

Out: Bart Houston

With the Steelers having a firmly entrenched starting quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger and Landry Jones finally returning to the field in the team's third preseason game after missing time this summer with an abdominal strain, Pittsburgh's two quarterbacks dressing for regular season game days are set.

However, 2017 fourth-round draft pick Joshua Dobbs should also have a home on the Steelers' 53-man roster, though, like Jones before him, he won't dress for game days barring weeks that the team could be without Roethlisberger for whatever reason.

Meanwhile, Bart Houston could be picked up as a practice squad player if the Steelers deem him a developmental project with more upside than other young players at other positions. It's a long shot—the Steelers aren't typically interested in holding a quarterback on the practice squad—but it is possible only because Houston has shown glimmers of promise this summer.

Running Back

Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

In: Le'Veon Bell, Knile Davis, James Conner, Terrell Watson, Roosevelt Nix (fullback)

Out: Trey Williams, Fitzgerald Toussaint

With Le'Veon Bell the established starting running back in Pittsburgh, this summer was spent determining the pecking order behind him. And at this point, it appears his No. 2 to open 2017 will be Knile Davis, the veteran the Steelers picked up during the spring.

Davis also has the added attraction of being capable of returning kickoffs, something the Steelers needed to find from someone on the roster.

That person could have easily been Fitzgerald Toussaint, who handled the same job a season ago. But Davis has outperformed Toussaint this summer, thus leading Toussaint off of the roster. Bell and Davis will be backed up by rookie James Conner and, should they choose to keep a fourth back on the team, Terrell Watson.

Though Trey Williams has been an impressive punt returner in the preseason, even returning one for a touchdown, Watson has outtouched Williams as a running back 18 to one, thus handing him the edge.

Roosevelt Nix will continue to serve as a fullback, and while we will see him handling blocking duties (and likely a few carries) this season, his main value is as one of the Steelers' top special teamers, capable both of tackling in punt and kick coverage as well as blocking punts and field goal attempts. He won't be leaving Pittsburgh any time soon.

Wide Receiver

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

In: Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Eli Rogers, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Sammie Coates

Out: Demarcus Ayers, Cobi Hamilton, Justin Hunter, Justin Thomas, Marcus Tucker

The Steelers had, at most, two wide receiver spots up for grabs over the summer, and as it stands now, no one has seemed capable of wresting them away from the incumbents.

With Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant the clear-cut Nos. 1 and 2 and JuJu Smith-Schuster boasting a second-round draft pedigree, the only hope was for someone to unseat Eli Rogers as the team's slot receiver and for others to outperform Darrius Heyward-Bey and Sammie Coates as the backups for Bell and Bryant.

At first, it seemed free agent signee Justin Hunter might be able to take Heyward-Bey's job, as the former outperformed the latter during training camp. But Hunter never made an impression in the preseason, nor does he have the special-teams upside that has kept Heyward-Bey with the Steelers since 2014 despite catching only 30 passes over those three seasons.

Demarcus Ayers couldn't get on the field this summer, either, with an undisclosed injury marring most of his training camp and preseason. And though Cobi Hamilton was a willing and capable fill-in a year ago when Pittsburgh had to manage not just Bryant's suspension but injuries to the likes of Sammie Coates and the since-departed Markus Wheaton, there's just no roster space for him this season.

Tight End

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

In: Jesse James, Xavier Grimble, Vance McDonald, David Johnson

Out: Jake McGee

The Steelers have been making moves at the tight end position this week, a response to what has developed into a wholly underwhelming position group as the summer has worn on.

With Jesse James a capable receiver—though with questionable hands—and still learning the nuances of blocking, and Xavier Grimble doing neither consistently enough, Pittsburgh traded a 2018 fourth-round draft pick to the San Francisco 49ers for tight end Vance McDonald (and a 2018 fifth-round pick) on Tuesday.

It's quite possible that the McDonald addition puts Grimble on the outside of the 53-man roster, given that David Johnson should remain the team's primary blocking tight end once again in 2017.

But the Steelers chose to move another tight end off the team in response (Phazahn Odom), which could signal Grimble's job is safe. That leaves Jake McGee, signed by Pittsburgh in early August, as the only tight end earmarked for release on Friday.

Offensive Line

Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

In: Alejandro Villanueva, Marcus Gilbert, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, Ramon Foster, B.J. Finney, Jerald Hawkins

Out: Matt Feiler, Chris Hubbard, Brian Mihalik, Keavon Milton, Jake Rodgers, Ethan Cooper, Kyle Friend, Ruben Carter

The Steelers came into the summer with a completely established offensive line (from left to right: Alejandro Villanueva, Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro and Marcus Gilbert) and nothing has developed to change that lineup. Which meant the summer was all about figuring out which of the remaining linemen would serve best as backups for the 2017 season.

This will be a difficult decision for the Steelers to make in the coming days, and one that could influence the team to reduce the tight ends group by one to keep an additional lineman.

At this point, backup center B.J. Finney—who handled first-team duties throughout much of the summer while Pouncey recovered from taking a cleat to his leg—seems to have his job locked up, especially as he is also able to play guard. Jerald Hawkins has been too impressive over the summer as a reserve offensive tackle to lose his job, as well.

The question, though, is whether the Steelers will want to keep guard-center Chris Hubbard or young guard-tackle Matt Feiler as an eighth offensive lineman. If that doesn't become the case for Feiler, that's it for him, with his practice squad eligibility now used up. Landing on the practice squad could be the fates for both tackle Keavon Milton and guard Ethan Cooper. 

Defensive Line

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

In: Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, Javon Hargrave, L.T. Walton, Tyson Alualu, Johnny Maxey

Out: Lavon Hooks, Roy Philon, Daniel McCullers, Francis Kallon

Like many of the Steelers' other position groups, their starters on the defensive line were already set going into this summer's activities, with Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt as the ends and Javon Hargrave as the tackle. But determining the best course of action as far as depth was concerned was among the team's top summertime priorities. 

L.T. Walton and Tyson Alualu both seem to have their roster spots locked up as players capable of handling both end and tackle duties as either fill-ins or on a situational basis. That leaves just one spot open, which for now belongs to end Johnny Maxey. However, that could easily change, with end-tackle Lavon Hooks getting the nod instead.

Hooks was promoted to second-team right defensive end in the Steelers' third preseason game, a job that for much of the summer has been Maxey's, as noted by Steelers Depot's Alex Kozora. If that is a permanent switch, that gives Hooks the leg up on a roster spot and sends Maxey to the practice squad.

Daniel McCullers will be an odd man out, though, as he doesn't fit the mold of the Steelers' current defensive plans and hasn't done much to show he's anything more than a big body. 

Linebacker

Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

In: Ryan Shazier, Vince Williams, Bud Dupree, T.J. Watt, James Harrison, Arthur Moats, Anthony Chickillo, Tyler Matakevich, L.J. Fort

Out: Matt Galambos, Farrington Huguenin, Steven Johnson, Austin Gearing, Keith Kelsey

There are no surprises when it comes to the projected Pittsburgh linebacking corps for the 2017 season. Ryan Shazier and Vince Williams have done nothing to relinquish their starting jobs on the inside.

First-round draft pick T.J. Watt has been as advertised for most of the summer and should serve as a starting outside linebacker, if not to open the season then at some point during it, and Bud Dupree is the established starter on the outside alongside Watt.

James Harrison isn't going anywhere, at least for 2017. Arthur Moats and Anthony Chickillo have shown enough during training camp and the preseason that they are deserving of backup jobs at the outside position (and are also assets on special teams), and the same can be said for interior linebacker backups, Tyler Matakevich and L.J. Fort.

Though there were some questions about Moats' job security heading into the offseason—his spot could have been stolen by Steven Johnson, who also has impressed on the special-teams side of things—he's felt that pressure and stepped up, thus keeping him on the roster for another year.

Farrington Huguenin looks most likely headed to the practice squad for 2017, but he could emerge as the replacement for Moats next season.

Cornerback

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

In: Artie Burns, Ross Cockrell, Cameron Sutton, Coty Sensabaugh, Joe Haden, Mike Hilton

Out: Senquez Golson, Brian Allen, Brandon Dixon, JaCorey Shepherd, Dashaun Phillips, William Gay

Though there have been some stumbles in the preseason that make it look like the Steelers' pass defense in the secondary won't be much better than a year ago—and won't be able to handle the wholesale switch to a man-coverage philosophy as coordinator Keith Butler had envisioned—there also hasn't been any major shakeups in the cornerbacks group.

The summer was mostly about finding the best fit at slot cornerback, and though that may still be something of a work in progress, the Steelers will be able to keep enough corners to be able to work through those issues.

Artie Burns and Ross Cockrell were expected to be the team's starters on the outside, with Coty Sensabaugh working the slot. But Sensabaugh could ultimately find himself rotated to the outside, depending on how the Steelers' pass coverage looks as the season wears on.

The wild card is rookie Cameron Sutton, who finally returned from a summertime knee injury to put on an impressive performance in the Steelers' third preseason game; he could earn himself playing time at some point this year, but the questions are where on the field and when. The standout Mike Hilton seems too talented not to make the 53-man roster, but he might not dress for game days.

With Senquez Golson missing his third straight training camp and preseason with injuries, the Steelers seem to have no choice but to part ways with the 2015 second-round draft pick. Brian Allen, whom the Steelers drafted in the fifth round this year, seems destined for the practice squad.

But there's a big elephant in the room the Steelers will have to address at the cornerback position: The fact that they signed former Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden on Wednesday, just hours after the Browns released him. Though Haden's play has declined statistically in the past two seasons, Pittsburgh clearly had immediate and immense interest, and his presence means that someone otherwise considered "in" will necessarily have to be "out." 

The top candidates thus far are Cockrell or Hilton (the latter thus being a priority practice-squad signing). Cockrell is certainly no longer starting on the outside with Burns now that Haden has arrived and also does not have the leadership gravitas of Gay nor the special-teams prowess to save his job. It's also possible that more than one cornerback could be casualties of the Haden signing, but for the purposes of this projection, the assumption is that it will be Cockrell who gets released.

Safety

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

In: Mike Mitchell, Sean Davis, Jordan Dangerfield, Robert Golden

Out: Malik Golden, Terrish Webb, Jacob Hagen

Like the cornerback position, the Steelers could serve to be better at safety, though that comes with the caveat that Pittsburgh's preseason struggles this year also illuminate the importance of starter Mike Mitchell's presence on the field.

Mitchell, who has been sidelined for much of training camp and the entirety of the preseason with a (suspected) hamstring injury, has been replaced by a lost-looking Robert Golden before Golden gave way to an improved Jordan Dangerfield.

This is why Mitchell is a first-team defender and why the Steelers need to hope he is healthy and able to play Week 1 (and every week until Week 16). Second-year player Sean Davis will be the other starting safety on the field with Mitchell, just as he was a season ago.

The Steelers don't have much quality or experienced depth at the safety position, though, which means that Golden still gets to keep a roster spot. Dangerfield will also be a backup safety on the 53-man roster, as well as a key component to the Steelers' special teams. The remaining safeties, thus, will be released.

Special Teams

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

In: Colin Holba, Jordan Berry, Chris Boswell

Out: Kameron Canaday

There was only one specialist job up for grabs for the Steelers this summer—long snapper—but it seems as though Colin Holba has it locked up. After all, the Steelers used a sixth-round draft pick this year to acquire him, while his competition, Kameron Canaday, was already released and then later re-signed. 

Jordan Berry will therefore reprise his role as Pittsburgh's punter for the 2017 season, and Chris Boswell will remain the team's kicker.

Berry has done a good job punting during this summer, including landing seven of his eight punts within the Atlanta Falcons' 20-yard line in the team's second preseason game.

Boswell has made all six of his field goal attempts during the preseason and four of his five extra points; a year ago, he made 21 of his 25 field goal attempts and all 36 of his extra points.