Football is back. Finally. It seems like ages ago that the Ravens knocked the Steelers out of the playoffs and we had to sit at home and watch Tom Brady win his 4th Super Bowl. (Seriously though, why did the Seahawks pass?). A lot has happened with this team over the off-season. Troy Polamalu retired. Ben Roethlisberger was signed to a 4-year extension that will keep him in black and gold through 2019. Jason Worilds gave up football to be a Jeohovah’s Witness. Cam Heyward was signed to a 5-year extension and is now (along with Lawrence Timmons) the de facto leader of the defense. The Steelers landed 6 defensive players out of 8 draft picks, including first round pick Bud Dupree (OLB-Kentucky) and second round pick Senquez Golson (CB-Ole Miss).
The Steelers were able to survive the offseason relatively unscathed. Aside from Le’Veon Bell getting a 3-game suspension for the marijuana DUI arrest last August, no other players were suspended or injured during OTAs or mini-camp. The Steelers enter training camp as a healthy team, which is a huge asset as young players battle it out for positions on the depth chart. Only 4 players remain on the roster from the Super Bowl XL Championship team a decade ago (Roethlisberger, Miller, Warren, Harrison) and only 3 others were on the Super Bowl XLIII team (Gay, Spaeth, Timmons). The young players got a taste for a division title and playoff action last year, but the defense could not hold the Ravens offense at bay.
On paper, the Steelers look to have one of the best offenses in the league with Ben Roethlisberger coming off the best season of his career where he led the league in passing yards. Ben also had a career-best completion percentage 67.1%, second lowest INT rate and lowest sack rate of his career. The emergence of Le’Veon Bell in the backfield helped tremendously as Bell broke the Steelers single-season record in yards from scrimmage with 1391 rushing yards (the 5th best single-season for a Steelers RB) and 854 receiving yards (the most ever by a Steelers RB). Not to be outdone, Antonio Brown led the league in receptions (129) and receiving yards (1698). Brown’s 129 catches were the 2nd most receptions in a single season in NFL history and his 1698 yards was the 6th best single season in league history.
Once again, the starting lineups on both sides of the ball are mostly set. The only real starting position that could be up for grabs in camp is at cornerback. Cortez Allen is coming off the worst season of his career where he was benched in favor of Brice McCain then suffered a hand injury that ended his season. The Steelers have shown verbal confidence in him during the off-season and he will have the chance to win the job, but don’t be surprised if he is pushed by Antwon Blake for a starting spot. The Steelers also invested two draft picks in cornerbacks this year (Senquez Golson from Ole Miss and Doran Grant from Ohio State) who we will see plenty of during the pre-season.
Poor play by Ryan Shazier or Shamarko Thomas could lead to openings in the starting lineup at linebacker and safety, though this is less of a camp battle than the starting cornerback position. This is not to say that Shazier or Thomas are in danger of losing their jobs any time soon. However, the Steelers re-signed veteran safety Will Allen who has proven in the past he is perfectly capable of stepping in at either safety spot when needed. Shamarko has been largely unable to find the field through his first two seasons (primarily because of injuries and the Steelers not having the heart to take Troy Polamalu off the field), so if he struggles during camp and early in the season, the Steelers could look to make a switch to a reliable veteran. Similarly, when Shazier was injured last year the tandem of Sean Spence and Vince Williams played admirably. The Steelers handed Shazier the starting position last year, but the high quality of play from Spence and Williams makes inside linebacker one of the deepest positions on the roster in 2015. In the case of both Thomas and Shazier, they are the assumed starters but the presence of quality veterans behind them on the depth chart gives the Steelers options if they falter.
Unlike previous season, the Steelers do have a decent amount of salary cap space (around $5 million) heading into training camp. They could use this money to sign another veteran player once they hit camp and begin examining their depth chart, or they could simply sit on this money in the event of the need for a mid-season signing or trade. The Steelers could also use this money to try to extend Kelvin Beachum (who is entering the last year of his rookie contract).
Roster Analysis
Heading into camp, there are 27 players that are absolutely guaranteed to make the 2015 Steelers.
Roster Locks (27)
QB – B. Roethlisberger
RB – L. Bell, D. Williams
WR – A. Brown, M. Bryant, M. Wheaton
TE – H. Miller
OT – K. Beachum, M. Gilbert
OG – R. Foster, D. DeCastro
C – M. Pouncey
DE – C. Heyward, S. Tuitt
NT – S. McLendon
OLB – J. Harrison, A. Moats, J. Jones, B. Dupree
ILB – L. Timmons, R. Shazier
CB – C. Allen, W. Gay
FS – M. Mitchell
SS – S. Thomas
K – S. Suisham
LS – G. Warren
There are 14 more players that should make the team, barring any injury or off-field incidents (or if the Steelers decide to make a trade from a position of strength like ILB).
Should Make The Team (14)
QB – B. Gradkowski
RB – W. Johnson, D. Archer
WR – S. Coates
TE – M. Spaeth
OT – M. Adams
C – C. Wallace
NT – D. McCullers
ILB – S. Spence, V. Williams
CB – A. Blake, S. Golson, D. Grant
S – W. Allen
This is 41 of the 53 players that will eventually make up the Steelers opening day roster. That also means that there are 12 roster spots remaining. One of those spots will be taken by a punter, which will be settled in a training camp battle between two Australians – Brad Wing (who averaged 43.7 yards per punt last season) and Jordan Berry (who averaged 43.3 yards per punt his senior year at Eastern Kentucky). Wing was 29th out of 32 punters in the league last season so this spot is definitely open for competition. The other roster spot that is guaranteed to be filled is the 3rd quarterback position. Landry Jones has shown absolutely nothing through two NFL seasons and his time is likely running short. The Steelers brought in former Clemson QB Tajh Boyd to provide another arm in the offseason, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Boyd pushed Jones for the last QB spot. Furthermore, the Steelers enter camp with two college QBs who are trying to convert to WR on the roster – Michigan’s Devin Gardner and Boston College’s Tyler Murphy. If the Steelers want to carry one of them for WR depth, they could sacrifice Jones’ spot and use Gardner or Murphy as the emergency 3rd quarterback.
With the addition of a punter and a 3rd QB to the roster, this brings the available roster slots down to 10. With Le’Veon Bell’s suspension, he will have to be on the final 53-man roster coming out of camp but won’t count towards the 53 in Week 1 so the Steelers will have the opportunity to add another player to the roster for Week 1 (and will have to release someone to make room for Bell).
Roster Battles
Running Back: Josh Harris, Ross Scheuerman, Free Agents
After LeGarrette Blount’s exit and Le’Veon Bell’s injury, Josh Harris was pressed into emergency running back duties at the end of last season. The Steelers were able to make it through the game against the Bengals but they were not able to present much of a threat on the ground against the Ravens in the playoffs. This season, with Bell suspended for the first 3 games, DeAngelo Williams figures to be the workhorse with a few forced carries to Dri Archer to see if he can do anything but lose 2 yards. With Bell out, the Steelers will need to carry another running back on the roster. Harris figures to be the leading candidate with undrafted free agent Ross Scheuerman figuring to get some preseason work and possibly be a practice squad candidate. That said, there are a number of veterans still out there on the free agent market, including Chris Johnson, Shonn Greene, Knowshon Moreno, Pierre Thomas and Ronnie Brown.
Tight End: Jesse James, Rob Blanchflower, Michael Egnew, Cameron Clear
Blanchflower was a 7th round pick in 2014 that spent last season on the practice squad. With veteran Michael Palmer gone, the 3rd tight end spot on the roster is wide open for camp competition. The favorite has to be 5th round pick Jesse James (from South Allegheny High School and Penn State). James has the size and upside to develop into a very good all-around tight end and could be a red zone weapon for the Steelers this season. Egnew performed very well in camp last season and is back for another go while undrafted free agent Cameron Clear (Texas A&M) didn’t do much in college and there was some thought before the draft that a team might look to convert him to offensive tackle. The Steelers could still do that, but his upside appears to be on the practice squad this season.
Wide Receiver: Darrius Heyward-Bey, CJ Goodwin, Devin Gardner, Tyler Murphy
Darrius Heyward-Bey has fallen a long way from being a Top 10 pick by the Oakland Raiders, but he has reinvented his game into being a great special teams player. He is on a veteran minimum deal and is the ideal 5th receiver – he can step into the lineup in an absolute pinch and can play special teams. CJ Goodwin is a speedy rookie that might turn some heads in camp but likely has the upside of the practice squad. Gardner and Murphy are both college QBs that were undrafted free agents and are trying to convert to wide receiver. They’d likely have to out-play DHB (especially on special teams) to get a spot on the 53-man roster, but either one could land on the practice squad after camp and give the Steelers an interesting development project that could turn into a weapon on 2-point conversions in the future.
Offensive Line: Chris Hubbard, Alejandro Villanueva, Miles Dieffenbach, BJ Finney, Reese Dismukes
The Steelers did not use any draft picks on offensive linemen for the only the 2nd time in the last 12 years. Hubbard was the 8th lineman on the 53-man roster last year and only appeared in one game. He appears to have the inside track on being the 8th lineman again this season, but there will be some competition. Villanueva spent last season on the practice squad while Dieffenbach, Finney and Dismukes were all very productive interior linemen in college. Those three were all signed as undrafted free agents this season and could push Cody Wallace for the back-up “swing” spot on the inside of the line.
Defensive End: Clifton Geathers, Cam Thomas, LT Walton, Matt Conrath, Joe Kruger, Ethan Hemer
It is utterly shocking to me that Cam Thomas is still on this roster. Thomas under-performed last season and was basically a net zero player on the defensive line. His perceived “value” is in the fact that he can play both nose tackle and defensive end but he isn’t strong enough to push the pocket or fast enough to chase outside the box. On top of that, his $2.5 million cap hit this season is insanely high for a reserve player. The Steelers could save $2 million of that by cutting Thomas today, but they continue to keep him on the roster. Clifton Geathers was signed at the end of last season when Brett Keisel was injured and brought back for another year. Hemer and Kruger both spent last year on the practice squad in Pittsburgh while Conrath spent last season on the Rams practice squad. Walton was the Steelers 6th round pick this year out of Central Michigan and was a bit of a surprise because not many had him on their draft boards. That said, the Steelers have had some luck with 6th rounders from Central Michigan in the past.
Outside Linebacker: Anthony Chickillo, Shawn Lemon, Howard Jones
Anthony Chickillo was an undersized 4-3 defensive end in college at Miami and the Steelers took him in the 6th round with the intention of converting him into a 3-4 OLB. Chickillo is going to have to show he can play on special teams if he is going to stick on this year’s roster because the depth chart is fairly loaded ahead of him. Lemon was signed in the offseason out of the CFL, where he spent the last 4 seasons. He is coming off his best season where he had 13 sacks and 8 forced fumbles. He will be an interesting player to watch that could nab a roster spot if he can make the conversion to the NFL game. Howard Jones was the camp darling of many bloggers last season an undrafted free agent who made splash plays on defense and special teams but ultimately spent the season on the practice squad. HoJo is back for another run at the roster and this should be a very interesting competition to watch behind the top 4 OLBs who will be battling for rotation time.
Inside Linebacker: Terrence Garvin, Jordan Zumwalt
Barring an injury or trade, the Steelers have 4 extremely high quality inside linebackers that will make the 53-man roster. If they choose to keep a 5th, the competition will come down to Terrence Garvin and Jordan Zumwalt. Garvin has spent the last few years with the team and played very well on special teams. Zumwalt was a 7th round pick in 2014 that spent the season on injured reserve. Garvin is a known commodity who has excelled on special teams while Zumwalt, while athletically gifted, is a bit of an unknown. Both could play either inside or outside in a pinch but their real value to the 2015 Steelers will be on special teams.
Cornerback: BW Webb, Kevin Fogg
The top 5 at corner appear to be set with returning contributors Allen, Gay, and Blake along with draft picks Golson and Grant. It seems highly unlikely the Steelers will keep 6 cornerbacks, but both BW Webb spent time with the team last season and contributed on special teams while Fogg spent the year on the practice squad. The Steelers staff seems to like Webb, who we picked up on waivers from the Cowboys last year, and these two are among the tallest in the cornerback group.
Safety: Rob Golden, Ross Ventrone, Gerrod Holliman, Jordan Dangerfield, Alden Darby, Isaiah Lewis
The backup safety positions will be some of the most competitive roster spots in the preseason with the final roster spots likely being decided on special teams. Rob Golden was one of the special teams captains last year but hasn’t seen much time on the field since his rookie season when he was pressed into emergency duty. Ross Ventrone, aka “Little Polamalu,” was a special teams ace last season which could be enough to land him on the final roster. Holliman, the Steelers 7th round pick, led the nation last year with 14 interceptions at Louisville but is an absolutely terrible tackler. He has the ball skills to be a great center fielder-type free safety but will have to improve his tackling if he is going to play on special teams. Dangerfield turned some heads in camp last year as a physical strong safety that doled out big hits, but it was not enough to land him on the practice squad. Darby and Lewis spent last August with the Chargers and Bengals respectively but neither made a team out of training camp and were signed to the Steelers offseason roster in January 2015. The way the roster math breaks down, it could come down to Ventrone vs Holliman for the 53rd spot.
Roster Projection
Obviously there are a lot of moving pieces right now and it is impossible to project how rookies will perform in their first NFL camp. That said, here is my projected 53-man roster as the team heads to camp:
QB (3): B. Roethlisberger, B. Gradkowski, L. Jones
RB (4): L. Bell, D. Williams, D. Archer, J. Harris
FB (1): W. Johnson
WR (5): A. Brown, M. Bryant, M. Wheaton, S. Coates, D. Heyward-Bey
TE (3): H. Miller, M. Spaeth, J. James
OT (3): K. Beachum, M. Gilbert, M. Adams
OG (3): R. Foster, D. DeCastro, C. Hubbard
C (2): M. Pouncey, C. Wallace
DE (4): C. Heyward, S. Tuitt, C. Thomas, C. Geathers
NT (2): S. McLendon, D. McCullers
OLB (5): J. Harrison, A. Moats, J. Jones, B. Dupree, A. Chickillo
ILB (5): L. Timmons, R. Shazier, S. Spence, V. Williams, T. Garvin
CB (5): C. Allen, W. Gay, A. Blake, S. Golson, D. Grant
FS (2): M. Mitchell, R. Golden
SS (3): S. Thomas, W. Allen, R. Ventrone
K (1): S. Suisham
P (1): B. Wing
LS (1): G. Warren
Practice Squad:
– G. Holliman (FS)
– S. Lemon (OLB)
– H. Jones (OLB)
– J. Zumwalt (ILB)
– LT Walton (DE)
– M. Dieffenbach (OG)
– A. Villanueva (OT)
– R. Blanchflower (TE)
– D. Gardner (WR)
– R. Scheuerman (RB)
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