As we did with the Pittsburgh Steelers, everybody if they’re smart uses “initial” to preface the 53-man roster. That’s because the 53 players who survive cutdown day are almost never the same 53 who open the season. Teams always look over the waiver wire, hunt for straggling veteran free agents, and seek trades to fill out weak areas of the roster.
In order to add a player, you need to subtract one, so rosters need to have an order of priority. Position, health, flexibility, and special teams contributions factor into that, but generally, you know who the vulnerable players are. Below is my list of the five players I believe are on the bottom of the Steelers’ totem pole. Odds are at least one or two of these players won’t be on the 53-man roster in Atlanta.
DL Logan Lee
The first of the Steelers’ two sixth-round picks in April, Logan Lee is effectively the eighth defensive lineman. Though he is a defensive end by nature, they had him playing nose tackle in training camp. He frankly doesn’t appear to be cut out for it, at least not at his current weight. That makes him, rather, an ideal developmental prospect—and they can do that from the practice squad. Either way, eight linemen is too many, so if it’s not Lee, then Isaiahh Loudermilk may be vulnerable.
S Jalen Elliott
The Steelers released Elliott back in July but brought him back in August. Now suddenly he is on the 53-man roster, the Steelers opting for him over Thomas Graham Jr. With the rash of injuries among slot cornerbacks, Elliott is their current “next best” option behind Beanie Bishop Jr. But because of that you should expect them to scour the waiver wire for other possibilities.
C Ryan McCollum
Ryan McCollum is likely only on the 53-man roster because of Dylan Cook’s injury. We don’t even know for sure right now that the Steelers view him as the backup center. He may end up serving that role, or they could entrust it to Mason McCormick or Spencer Anderson. They have a couple weeks to practice at center before the regular season begins. And the Steelers should definitely look for veteran centers to replace McCollum, a practice squad mainstay.
CB Darius Rush
Many people left Rush off their 53-man roster predictions, including myself. The Steelers are keeping him for now, but he may not stick, especially if they’re looking for an experienced outside cornerback. Even more concerning for him is if they find another gunner because that might be his job. The problem is, he struggled playing gunner during the preseason.
WR Scotty Miller
While the Steelers only kept five wide receivers, they don’t have to be married to the five they kept. Scotty Miller has worked with Arthur Smith before, but they can do better. Who knows, maybe they will actually trade for Brandon Aiyuk, after all. Or maybe they’ll just replace him with Dez Fitzpatrick at some point.
