Early 53 man Roster

[SteelKnight]

Is it too early? Heck yeah. That's the fun time to do it. Anyone can do it 2 days before final cuts.

Starters in Bold

OFFENSE 25

QB (3)
1. Roethlisberger
2. Leftwich (first 4 games)
3. Dennis Dixon

WR (6)
1. Ward
2. Wallace
3. Sanders
4. Randel El
5. Arnez Battle
6. Antonio Brown

RB/FBs (4)
1. Mendenhall
2. Moore
3. Redman
4. Dwayne Wright (FB)

TE (3)
1. Miller
2. Spaeth
3. McHugh

OL (9)
1. Starks
2. Kemoeatu
3. Hartwig
4. Pouncey
5. Adams
6. Essex (can play guard or T)
7. Foster (can play guard or T)
8. Jonathan Scott (OL coaches boy)
9. Doug Legursky (Tomlin seems to like)

DEFENSE 25

NT (2)
1. Hampton
2. Hoke

DE (5)
1. Smith
2. Keisel
3. Hood
4. Harris
5. Eason

OLB (4)
1. Harrison
2. Woodley
3. Gibson
4. Worilds

ILB (5)
1. Farrior
2. Timmons
3. Foote
4. Fox
5. Sylvester

CB (5)
1. Taylor
2. McFadden
3. Lewis
4. Gay
5. Burnette


Safties (4)
1. Polamalu
2. Clark
3. Allen
4. Mundy

Special Teams 3

Kicker
1. Reed

Punter
1. Sepulveda

Long Snapper
1. Greg Warren

Practice Squad (8)
1. Jonathan Dwyer
2. Frank Summers
3. Chris Scott
4. David Johnson
5. Craig Urbik
6. Doug Worthington
7. Crezdon Butler
8. Stephan Logan (we won't get to keep im but I would be wrong to not offer)

[SteelKnight]

OK...while my 53 list is not shocking, I did make some controversial moves like cutting Urbik, Dwyer, David Johnson, Summers, Logan, Anthony Madison, Patrick Bailey and Crezdon Butler. I may be wrong on half of these...but you have to gamble. lol

Ultimately the preseason games will decide between :

Logan, Arnez Battle, and Antonio Brown.
David Johnson and McHugh
Urbik and Legursky
Dwyer, Wright, and Redman

[FourThreeMafia]

I agree with all the starters, but I think ARE will be the 3rd receiver, at least to start the year. Sanders would really have to outshine ARE completely. Sanders is having a nice camp. but Ive heard Randel El has looked good too.

[kirklandrules]

I think you have it pretty darn close. They may not keep 5 DEs and it comes down to Eason or Harris as the 4th. Somehow I think Dwyer will be in the mix at RB. I don't know if Antonio Brown will be the last WR or will they keep Grisham? And they really seem to like Johnson as the H-back over McHough. But these are all bubble guys and anything can happen to change the mix ... including injuries.

I worry about not having Bailey and Madison as they were good ST guys and we have to have an improvement in that area. But 53 adds up pretty fast so who else would you cut? Glad I don't have to make that call!

[SteelKnight]

Originally Posted by FourThreeMafia

I agree with all the starters, but I think ARE will be the 3rd receiver, at least to start the year. Sanders would really have to outshine ARE completely. Sanders is having a nice camp. but Ive heard Randel El has looked good too.

I have a feeling you are right about that...not because ARE is better but rather out of respect. It is easier to explain to a rookie why he is not getting the 3rd spot.

I hope however that Sanders does beat ARE so I must admit that was one spot where I put my hopes over what is likely.

[pete74]

i agree with all excepr pouncey. i dont see him starting unless there is an injury. essex seems to have him beat in camp. i also see hood starting by midseason. i love keisel but hood is to good to sit

[SteelKnight]

Originally Posted by kirklandrules

I think you have it pretty darn close. They may not keep 5 DEs and it comes down to Eason or Harris as the 4th. Somehow I think Dwyer will be in the mix at RB. I don't know if Antonio Brown will be the last WR or will they keep Grisham? And they really seem to like Johnson as the H-back over McHough. But these are all bubble guys and anything can happen to change the mix ... including injuries.

I worry about not having Bailey and Madison as they were good ST guys and we have to have an improvement in that area. But 53 adds up pretty fast so who else would you cut? Glad I don't have to make that call!

I know...53 fills up fast. lol I wish I could keep Logan because it gives me peace of mind to have a guy that does both KR and PR and you don't really have to worry about speed, fumbling or if he will get injured. Even though I have players like Antonio Brown making the team, he can't do KR because he will be inactive. I only put him on the roster to protect him. I was hoping Arnez Battle would not be good so we could take Logan instead but I hear he has been good and in sync with Ben (at least 3TDs).

About Dwyer...I was rooting for im after the draft but I think he needs a year to develop now. Once they added Wright (OL coach's friend) his chances went down. I hope he can spend a year on the PS and nobody steals him. I just don't see them cutting Wright. He is lucky he has the title of FB. The only thing that can save Dwyer is if either Redman or Wright have fumbling problems.

We have an awesome team developing and we have no more room for those ST only guys. We need to have Worilds, Gibson, Fox, Foote, Sylvester, Burnette, and some of those other guys step up. I was hoping to keep Crezdon Butler because I know he likes special teams but I had forgotten about the LS and had to go back and add him. Too bad centers can't learn to LS...waste of a spot (I know the motion is different etc).

[SteelKnight]

Originally Posted by pete74

i agree with all excepr pouncey. i dont see him starting unless there is an injury. essex seems to have him beat in camp. i also see hood starting by midseason. i love keisel but hood is to good to sit

That was a tough one for me too. If Essex is so good, maybe they should try Pouncey out at center. I know in addition to the play calling he would have to actually practice close snaps (did mostly shotgun at Florida). IDK. Faneca used to call line changes. If Kemo know the line well, maybe he can call it for a year.

With Hood, it sounds like they will do this rotation thing that Smith and Keisel are open to. Hopefully they will be less tired in the 4th (Smith admits they get tired). I think that eventually one of them will get injured and Hood will win a spot.

[Tone's Toes]

Looks like Pouncey will backup C/G to start, so no need for another backup C/G like Legursky. Lose him and add Crezdon Butler. Coaches seem to like him. Also wouldn't be surprised if Dwyer makes the team. Colbert said Wright is more of a RB that plays FB. Sounds like another Redman. I think Redman beats him out and Dwyer makes it too. I also wouldn't count out Worthington. Might com down to him vs Harris and/or Eason.

[SteelKnight]

Originally Posted by Tone's Toes

Looks like Pouncey will backup C/G to start, so no need for another backup C/G like Legursky. Lose him and add Crezdon Butler. Coaches seem to like him. Also wouldn't be surprised if Dwyer makes the team. Colbert said Wright is more of a RB that plays FB. Sounds like another Redman. I think Redman beats him out and Dwyer makes it too. I also wouldn't count out Worthington. Might com down to him vs Harris and/or Eason.

Good point. If Pouncey does not start it might work out that way. I wanted to keep 9 OL so I had the tough decision of taking Legursky over Urbik. Tomlin also said Legursky has a quickness where he can be be used as a fullback.

Crezdon Butler was my last cut because I had to make space for a long snapper. My 2 guys that just missed are logan and Butler. I'd like to keep Logan.

BTW. Fraizer got so lucky with the IR. He was not going to make the team.