By tomorrow at 10 a.m., the Steelers need to get their roster down to 53 guys. While there aren't as many open jobs as the bobbleheads in the media would like you to believe, there will be some surprising cuts and omissions. Here we go...
Quarterbacks (3): Some guy named Roethlisberger, some dude from Homestead, and the venerable Brian St. Pierre. There is the slightest possibility that they'll try to go into the season with 2 QBs, but I doubt it. Given what happened the last two years and the fact that Ben isn't very durable and Batch isn't very young, I think they'll keep St. Pierre on the roster. Also, I'm pretty sure they can't hide him on the practice squad.
Running Backs (5): Fast Willie, Najeh Davenport, Dan Kreider, Verron Haynes, Carey Davis. Gary Russell gets waived, then immediately signed to the practice squad. Although they haven't used Kreider much this pre-season and probably won't use him much during the regular season, I think they let him play out his contract and sign with someone else next year. Keeping him on the roster means that no one in the division and especially Steelers West (aka, the Arizona Cardinals) will sign him before the season starts. It's a shitty thing to do to a good guy that has done right by the Steelers since 2000, but thems the breaks. Haynes is too valuable as a 3rd down back and has been absolutely amazing this pre-season, proving he's healthy. So, he stays. They like Davenport as a "closer" and someone that can also play 3rd downs if Haynes gets injured (which will probably happen). Davis did well enough and he's been around the league long enough that he'll make the roster. He can also play fullback, which doesn't hurt his case at all.
Wide Receivers (6): Hines Ward, Cedrick Wilson, Santonio Holmes, Nate Washington, Willie Reid, Walter Young. And none of those dudes helps on special teams. I miss Sean Morey. I feel like I'm missing someone. But, then again, I forgot about Dallas Baker ever making this team when they drafted him. If I'm missing someone, please let me know. I'm not changing my prediction, I'd just like to be informed that I'm a jackass. And, further proof that people actually read this blog is that I wasn't able to steal Santonio Holmes late in the draft. I guess I should've thought the matter through, given that 90% of the readers of this blog are in Fantasy Football leagues with me.
Tight Ends (3): Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth, Jerame Tuman. Poor, poor little Josh Boyd.
Offensive Linemen (9): Marvell Smith, Alan Faneca, Sean Mahan, Kendall Simmons, Willie Colon, Trai Essex, Max Starks, Chris Kemoeatu, Marvin Philip. Chukki Okobi is getting cut, Starks will play out the rest of his contract (ends after this season) "just in case" Colon either sucks or gets hurt, and everyone else is just filler. Essex can play guard or tackle, Philip can play either guard or center, Kemoeatu can play both guard positions. Even though they've only got 4 reserves, these nine guys give them a lot of options. I also think that Starks is going to get the Ike Taylor Treatment this year. He may end up being the starter by the end of the season, but I'm betting that Colon opens as the starter, then gets the hook if he sucks and/or Tomlin thinks Starks has been humbled enough to come back. Starks is to damn tall to play right tackle for the Steelers, anyway. I like Colon. He's a mean dude.
Kickers (2): Jeff Reed and The Sepulverizer (aka, Danny Vulva).
Linebackers (9): James Harrison, Larry Foote, James Farrior, Clark Haggans, LaMar Woodley, Lawrence Timmons, Arnold Harrison, Clint Kriewaldt, Rian Wallace. Wallace, Timmons, Harrison, and Kriewaldt help considerably on special teams, you've got the four starters, and Woodley can come in as a pass rush specialist on 3rd downs (seeing as how he used to be an end). I'm not crazy about the outside guys and I question the depth, but that's what happens when you let Joey Porter go and neglect to sign a suitable replacement for Clark Haggans. Haggans is gone next year and Timmons and Woodley are most likely your starters, with Harrison or Wallace possibly replacing Farrior. Assuming, of course, that they don't move to the 4-3 by next year.
Defensive Linemen (6): Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, Brett Kiesel, Chris Hoke, Shaun Nua, Nick Eason. Everybody starts, everybody has a back-up. They may end up keeping only 5 d-linemen and keeping 10 o-linemen. Or, they may end up keeping more than 10 defensive backs. Speaking of which...
Defensive Backs (10): Ike Taylor, Anthony Smith, Troy Polamalu, Deshea Townsend, Ryan Clark, Tyrone Carter, Ricardo Coclough, Bryant McFadden, Anthony Madison, and... William Gay. Carter contributes on special teams, you've got the four starters, Madison and McFadden are great nickel and dime guys and McFadden may end up starting by season's end. Clark adds depth and can jump in if Smith can't handle being the starter (he'll be the starter at FS, btw). Coclough, while he BETTER NOT RETURN PUNTS, contributes on special teams and also fills in well in nickel and dime packages.
But, the biggest surprise of this cut-down might be that Coclough ends up getting cut and they keep either Chidi Iwuoma or (very unlikely, but possible) Jovon Johnson. Chidi has a long, distinguished history on special teams and would really help out. Moreso than Coclough. And, with a new regime, you never know who's safe and whose head could potentially be on the chopping block.
And, shit, who really knows? With Cowher, we could predict these things with some degree of certainty. Tomlin could keep 6 running backs, or 10 offensive linemen (opting to take a shot at John Capizzi or keeping Okobi), or 4 tight ends, or 10 linebackers. I, honestly, don't have any idea.
I think my arguments make sense, but the Steelers refuse to listen to me. Which is probably for the best.
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