Jordan DeFigio, @fidgenewton
SteelerNation.com
The Pittsburgh Steelers have until 4PM this Saturday to winnow their roster down to the 53 men who will line the field come September 14th at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. While there have been young players who have stolen the training camp show and all but cemented their place on the team (see Chase Claypool, Alex Highsmith), there are still quite a few positions with guys battling for roster spots.
It is impossible to predict with accuracy who will make the team, but that won't keep us from speculating. And this morning, when I cozied up to my computer with my coffee in hand, I wanted to do just that - look at some of the positions shrouded in question marks and ask myself, "Who do I think will make it? And what will the depth chart look like?"
Running Back
While it's been made clear the Steelers' brass has their sights set on James Conner as the feature back (Lord PLEASE let him stay healthy), Benny Snell, Jr. has also used this training camp to impress the coaching staff. They may be the two names etched in stone, but there are four other prominent names in the running back room that are not quite as permanent.
Anthony McFarland, Kerrith Whyte, Jaylen Samuels, and Trey Edmunds are a bit of a gray area. Of McFarland, quarterback coach Matt Canada said, “He is an explosive back, a dynamic back. He can take a five or eight yard gain and make it a very big play in a hurry, which he has done and shown in his play in college and the time I was with him.” And Canada should know. He was McFarland's offensive coordinator at the University of Maryland.
It is very unlikely McFarland will fail to make the team, as it seems he already has shown the talent to impress more than the other three. In my mind, he lands himself a spot on the 53-man roster. The guys whose fates are not quite as clear are the latter three - Whyte, Samuels, and Edmunds.
Whyte dealt with a groin injury several weeks ago, but when he was cleared, head coach Mike Tomlin put him back into the action returning kicks. It's no secret that the Steelers' punt and kick return needs some TLC, as the only player to have any kind of production was receiver Diontae Johnson, and Tomlin would prefer to utilize someone other than one of his top 3 receivers in their return game. If Whyte proves to be a better return man than Ryan Switzer, he just might make it.
That leaves Samuels and Edmunds. And honestly, between the two I just don't know. The team seems to like Samuels, and he has a solid relationship with running backs coach Eddie Faulkner. Edmunds often seems to be the odd-man-out and often just, well, forgotten. The most he comes up in conversation is in reference to the two sets of brother-tandems on the team.
I could see it playing out that Conner, Snell, McFarland, and Samuels make up the running back room for 2020-2021, and Whyte finds himself a spot on special teams (IF he impresses as a return man. Big if). I think Edmunds will be the one sent packing.
Wide Receiver
Love him, hate him, expect more from him, whatever; JuJu Smith-Schuster is the number one receiver. Coming off of a rather disappointing season that followed his sophomore breakout, Smith-Schuster spent the off-season building muscle and training up. Though that was hardly the biggest issue he faced in 2019 (attempting to catch "passes" from Mason Rudolph and duck calling champion Devlin Hodges takes the cake there), it is promising to see yet another Steeler primed for a comeback season of sorts, and having Hall of Fame veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger running the offense will surely help. After all, don't forget what he's capable of.
However, that is only one of the 12 receivers the Steelers are currently working with. Johnson is a guarantee, given his superstar-level rookie year (also on the receiving end of passes from Rudolph and Hodges). James Washington will also be a lock, and as I said way back at the beginning, Claypool should be too with how much buzz he's generated at camp. That leaves Switzer, Quadree Henderson, Deon Cain, Saeed Blacknall, Amara Darboh, Anthony Johnson, DeAndre Thompkins, and Ray-Ray McCloud. Just typing all that exhausted me. Whew.
Switzer and Roethlisberger have a very solid on-field relationship and off-field friendship, and Roethlisberger seems to be the only quarterback who knows how to utilize Switzer and his abilities. I expect him to make the roster (I think everyone does). With the rather recent signings of Thompkins and McCloud, it's anyone's guess as to who will be in and who will be out. But based on what we've seen and what we know, the core of the receivers room should be Smith-Schuster, Johnson, Claypool, Washington, and Switzer.
Safety/Cornerback
Over the course of the last few seasons, the defense went from being one of the most invisible in the league to being top 5 in the league (quite possibly top 1, in my opinion). With the drafting of Bud Dupree (who had to come into his own, which he did), T.J. Watt, and Devin Bush, along with the signings of Joe Haden and Steven Nelson and the blockbuster trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick, GM Kevin Colbert added pieces that were sorely lacking and allowed defensive coordinator Keith Butler to lead the defense to its current glory.
Seriously, thank God for Minkah Fitzpatrick.
But just because the most glaring gaps were addressed doesn't mean there aren't smaller, just as crucial gaps that need to be tightened up.
Terrell Edmunds was selected first overall by the Steelers in the 2018 NFL Draft, and he has yet to perform to the expectations that were placed on him just by the very nature of his draft position. While there isn't much question that he will make the team, other guys like Mike Hilton and Cam Sutton have stepped up in training camp and proven to be capable members of the Steelers' secondary. Edmunds is here this year. But if he doesn't prove himself, his already-short leash may snap.
With the addition of Antoine Brooks, Jr. the team has flirted with the idea of having Edmunds fill a hybrid linebacker position (another area of distinct need) and utilizing Brooks in the safety position. I think all of these guys are safe.
For now.
Inside Linebacker
Devin Bush, Vince Williams, and Ulysses Gilbert III. Bush is concrete, and will hopefully be even better following up his rookie season. Williams seems to improve each year.
And Gilbert, coming off a season dealing with a back injury, has speed that the team wants to implement at that position. There isn't a tremendous amount of depth at this position, so all three will more than likely make regular appearances on the field.
Of course, there are plenty more areas for debate. But all of that will be put to rest at 4PM on Saturday, when the team will announce its official 53-man roster and we will know who's in and who's out.
Who do you predict will make it? Who do you predict will be cut? Let us know in the comments.
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