Steelers 53-Man Roster Projection: Key Changes After Two Weeks of Training Camp

Alan Saunders breaks down his updated 53-man roster projection for the Pittsburgh Steelers after two weeks of training camp at St. Vincent College. Notable changes include Gabriel Rubio earning a defensive line spot over veteran Dean Lowry, Carson Brunner jumping ahead of Malik Harrison at inside linebacker, and Ray Schanzen Jenkins replacing Darrell Savage at safety. On offense, Saunders explains the tight end logjam involving Connor Heyward, Pat Freiermuth, and third tight end Tony, and why carrying four running backs and six wide receivers makes cutting anyone nearly impossible.

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Video Transcript

Hey folks, good morning and welcome to the episode of Stars Morning Rush.

I'm Alan Saunders.

It is Monday, August 10th.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are back at St. Vincent College after an off day on Sunday and a day at Latrobe Memorial Stadium on Saturday night.

So back with their first practice at SVC since last Friday.

Back with their first public practice at that SVC since last Thursday is Friday.

Got delayed by rain and the fans uh were pushed away hoping to get today's in although there is some rain in the forecast.

Mike McCarthy scheduled to talk to us at 10:15 beforehand.

We'll get an update on the Steelers injury situation, probably talk about the upcoming preseason opener as well.

That's just a few days away Thursday night at Acker Shore Stadium against the Green Bay Packers at 7:00 p.m. Today I want to talk about uh two stories I wrote over the weekend.

One is my second session of winners and losers from Steelers training camp.

That is very popular every year and is there on the top of the website as well as my updated 53 man roster projection which just went up this morning.

You can check both of those out like I said Steelersnow.com.

Let's talk about that 53 man because I did make some changes.

Not a ton to be honest.

From the last time I did that exercise which was back in June the camp.

Might have actually been the early July, now I think about it.

But anyway, before the start of training camp and a lot of positions, very status quo.

Still Rogers, Rudolph, Allar a quarterback, uh still the same six at wide receiver, still Johnson and Homer behind the two starters at running back.

Still the top four tackles, which are obvious.

Still the same five and interior offensive alignment, which are pretty obvious.

Four edge rushers, those guys are kind of set in stone.

And six corners, even though there have been a bunch of injuries at that position, think that group is pretty good.

The three specialists, of course, don't even really have any real competition.

Let's talk about the places where I did make some changes.

Well, and one I didn't change also tight end, but I want to talk about that as well.

But let's start with the defense where I think things are a little easier to figure out.

Uh, I have seven defensive lineman.

I had seven defensive lineman before, but I have a different seven now.

I've got Gabriel Rubio on the 53 man roster and Dean Lowry off it.

The veteran has been fine.

Uh, he looks pretty okay coming back from that ACL injury, but I think Gabriel Rubio's really showed me something over these last couple weeks, especially last week when the pads went on.

That he deserves to be on the the roster.

And he's pretty good against the run.

I think he could be a player.

Still found something there in that sixth round and I think he will make the 53 man roster.

Probably over Lowry, although Asai and Tomiwa, I would not say his job is safe.

But I think Tomiwa also had a really good week.

He was one of my winners.

And I think he's really winning this coaching staff over.

Without you know, didn't have a big resume or anything like that.

I I think his play is doing it.

Logan Lee, the other guy in consideration for that job, hasn't practiced in a week.

He got some kind of undisclosed injury going on.

That is probably not good sign for his chances of making this team.

Inside linebacker, I've got two changes there.

One is the pecking order where Carson Brunner has clearly been ahead of Malik Harrison and is the number four inside linebacker and I don't see Malik Harrison making the team with his contract.

if he's the number five inside linebacker making I think it's the worth of 5 million per year.

That's crazy talk.

I could have put Jacob Winman as a fifth inside linebacker but to say to have to save that spot for safety where they're still not very deep and and probably need the extra body.

So just rolling with eight line backers, four inside, four outside which is less than the Steelers normally do but we got to make up some ground somewhere else.

Like as I said status close six cornerbacks.

Four safeties I had uh Darrell Savage making I had three safeties including Darrell Savage on my first 53.

Now I've got Ray Schanzen Jenkins to replace Savage on the roster as well as seventh rounder Robert Spears Jennings there.

Spears Jennings hasn't played great I don't think but he's played a lot.

And I think that shows a level of faith from the coaching staff that he's going to eventually figure this thing out and and and be on that 53-man roster.

So we'll put him there and uh that absorbs that extra position from the fifth inside linebacker Spur James also looks like he ought to be a pretty good special teammate.

So that eases some of that blow.

Let's go to the offense.

The nine offensive line man make a lot of sense.

At tight end, Robert Tyrone is the third tight end, there's no question.

Uh but I can't get him onto the 53-man roster right now.

There are a number of ways to accomplish that.

I'm assuming at some point there's just going to be an injury in that'll be that.

Um, but if there's not, you know, they can put him on the practice squad because he is a veteran that doesn't need to go through waivers and use him as depth there.

I know there is some risk to that move and Tony has been a good player.

But I just I don't see putting Riley Noakowski through waivers.

Even though Tony has out snapped Noakowski maybe 10 one at training camp.

I don't think Tony's been so good or so crucial that they would want to lose a draft pick over keeping him.

So I'll leave it there right now.

Like I said, like that that's not really reflective of what's been happening on the field where Tony has been a way way way more visible piece of the offense.

I just don't know that I'm ready to put a fifth round around the on the waiver wire just yet.

We'll see how things go in the preseason in that regard.

And the The reason you have to make that decision is, we had six running back, I had four running backs and six wide receivers and I can't bring myself to cut any of them.

Uh, Roman Wilson has earned a starting role to this point.

Holding off Jeremy Bernard who's also been very good.

Then you got Ben Skerronic, the starting gunner and a pro ball special teamer in multiple phases along with Kane Wegian, the punt and kick returner.

That's that's the list.

I mean those six guys have to make it.

And running back, I suppose you can make an argument for cutting or trading Caleb Johnson, but I wouldn't.

I mean he's been pretty good as a backup running back.

They, you know, both Jaylen Wesson and Rico Dowell have dealt with injury issues in the past.

And Travis Homer appears to be making this team because he's a personal protector on the punt unit in addition to being a multi-phase special teamer, but is not much of a running back these days.

Hasn't been much of a factor as a running back in several years.

And so I would be hesitant to lose Johnson and you would certainly lose Johnson if you cut him over just keeping special teams deaths or a guy like Tony.

And I just can't make it happen.

So Johnson and Homer run coming back.

Uh, Legion and Scaronic at special at wide receiver.

And then right now, just Noakowski behind the tight ends.

Uh, it's it's less than ideal, but it's the best I can come up with right now.

Um, Brandon Smith at wide receiver is a tough cut.

I think he's been a much better wide receiver than Scaronic or Legion, but doesn't have the same special team's value as them.

Eli Hyde and Rick, I I didn't think he had a a large chance to make in the 53, had a hard time getting reps early in training camp and then suffered a hamstring injury.

I would say almost certainly he does not make it at this point.

Again, a long way to go, but I I don't know how you could put them on a 53 right now.

Quarterback is easy at this point.

Mason Rudolph far ahead of Will Howard.

We'll see where things go from there.

Um but I I I don't even think it's a difficult decision.

At this point, not going to cut Drew Hall.

I maybe find some way to get somebody on the injured reserve or something like that, but otherwise, to me, this is kind of a a talking point that is only being talked about by the people who haven't been watching the people play because I I don't think that's really very close.

That's it.

That's 53.

Uh let me know what you think and maybe what you might have done differently and maybe what I screwed up.

I don't know.

I'm perfect.

Uh and then we'll talk to Mike McCarthy today have lots of more coming here on the YouTube channel.

Brandon with the Prad Support and me and Smithy on Afternoon Drive 5:00.

Get excited for that.

Until next time.

Thanks for listening.

Thanks for watching and enjoy.

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