What did the Steelers get right and wrong about their initial 53-man roster?
Cutdown day is a big deal, a tentpole event in the NFL calendar, for the Steelers as much as anybody. While every team tinkers with their initial 53-man roster, that first slate tells us a lot about where teams are. The Steelers’ initial roster can easily strike you as underwhelming this year—even with some names that previously sounded more exciting.
Take, for example, the fact that Cory Trice Jr., Darius Rush, and Beanie Bishop Jr. all made the roster. Alright, that’s cool and all—but who is going to step up when there are injuries? Are the Steelers properly insulated at the cornerback position with these young, unproven players?
Well, maybe they are, maybe they aren’t. We won’t know until we see things play out—including any changes the Steelers may make. All we know is how we feel about the roster right now, and that’s all we’re discussing at the moment.
So from your perspective, then, what did the Steelers get right with the roster, and what did they get wrong? Don’t worry about the fact that there will be some changes, just look at the initial roster and judge. Because that’s what the Steelers will be looking at when they scour cuts and trade candidates to see where they need to improve, anyway.
One striking element is the eight defensive linemen, even with DeMarvin Leal’s evident position flexibility. Rookie sixth-round pick Logan Lee was certainly one of the most surprising keeps this year. But that is also a strong indication that the Steelers could make a move here, adding a player at another position and losing a defensive lineman.
Most positions played out exactly as expected, barring injury—indeed, I think we can say that about the entire offense. Outside of Dylan Cook having an injury serious enough the Steelers placed him on the Reserve/Injured List, and Dez Fitzpatrick making the cut, I and most of us had that entire side of the ball dead-on.
I’ve had rosters with only three outside linebackers, so again, I’m not surprised there. And the Steelers avoided a decision on Ryan Watts because he evidently suffered a serious injury. Rather than retain Thomas Graham Jr., though, they kept defensive back Jalen Elliott. Did they get that right—and will it even matter by tomorrow?
The Steelers’ 2024 season is approaching, following another disappointing year that culminated in a first-round playoff loss. The only change-up in the annual formula lately is whether they exit early or miss the playoffs altogether. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? How will the team continue to address the depth chart?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
