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Today at 4 PM EST, the dreams of over 20 players will end as the Pittsburgh Steelers make the final cut to 53 players which will make up their 2014-2015 season roster.
Here are the players who are likely to be the final 5 cuts:
No. 5: Stephen Houston, RB
The Steelers picked up Houston as an undrafted rookie, and while he had a nice 10-yard run in the final preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, it looks like the Steelers are going with Le’Veon Bell, LeGarrett Blount, 2nd round pick Dri Archer and Will Johnson (FB) as their 4 rostered RB’s. It is possible Houston and/or John Harris could end up on the practice squad.
No. 4: Justin Brown, WR
If the Steelers keep 5 WR’s, Antonio Brown, Lance Moore and Marcus Wheaton are locks. Darrius Heyward-Bey has earned a spot after a strong preseason. Martavis Bryant also had a good preseason but is nursing a shoulder injury. The Steelers may carry 6 receivers due to this, however, I feel Brown will likely be the final cut at 54.
No. 3: Adam Podlesh, P
Podlesh has been gone all preseason attending to a family matter, and while he’s had a couple clunkers, Brad Wing has punted good during the preseason. No NFL team in their right mind are going to carry 2 punters on a 53-man roster. It’s possible Podlesh will go through waivers and end up on the practice squad, giving them some flexibility if Wing falters in his regular season action.
No. 2: Guy Whimper, OL
It looks like right now the Steelers will go with only 8 offensive linemen. In that scenario, Whimper is the odd man out to Wesley Johnson. Johnson is the more versatile player and can play in more positions on the OL, something vital to the Steelers as they have had multiple injuries for several seasons at multiple positions on the line.
No. 1: Will Allen, S
The Steelers’ secondary, while measuring up in YPG, simply hasn’t been very good since Tim Tebow eviscerated them in the 2011 postseason. They desperately need to get younger and more talented. If they carry only 4 Safeties, they are going to keep Robert Golden over Allen due to Golden’s potential.
Other observations:
The Steelers were likely to join the trend of NFL teams to only roster 2 QB’s until Landry Jones’ strong performance against Carolina. They will now carry him this season to start developing a potential successor to Ben Roethlisberger (Bruce Gradkowski is the backup currently).
This is a huge year for Marcus Wheaton with Emmanuel Sanders off to Denver. Can he step up and finally deliver on the potential he has? If not, he isn’t going to be long for the Steelers.
Don’t underestimate the impact of a healthy Heath Miller in the Steelers’ Offense. He is a huge part of their success on 3rd down when he’s on the field and Ben trusts only Antonio Brown more in clutch situations then Miller.
Also in the “don’t underestimate” category is the return of Brent Keisel to the Defensive-line. He can still get the job done and his mentorship/leadership to an otherwise very young group can’t be overstated. The lack of pressure from the front 3 of the Steeler’s Defense was a big contributor to their 0-4 start and eventual 8-8 finish last season.
Look for Sean Spence, who has had major injury issues during his time with Pittsburgh but is now healthy to make a run at Comeback Player of the Year. I see him having a big season in Dick LeBeau’s scheme. His upside is massive.
You’re seeing Ike Taylor’s final year in a Steeler uniform. Steeler fans are praying he remember’s he is Ike Taylor (especially with the new enforcement of holding and illegal contact). The question is, will the Steelers FINALLY break down and take a worthy success with their first round pick in 2015?
Joe Cummings is a Writer for Couch Rider Report. Follow him on twitter. Follow Couch Rider Report on twitter or Facebook.