2017 Offseason

[ATL96Steeler]

DE... Love the thought of having those 3 locks all at the same time. Fingers crossed they can stay healthy. Alualu is a brute of a man, along the same lines as Heyward. Should be interesting to see the impact he can have. We've been begging for them to get someone out there to spell Heyward & Tuitt more. Now they have them in the form of Alualu & Walton. There's no reason to have Cam & Stephon out there 95% of snaps anymore. When the game is on the line in the 4th qtr, we need those 2 to have gas left in the tank. Walton's main competition will be Maxey. I don't think Walton will have much trouble edging him out. Keep an eye on Kallon to make the PS. Read somewhere that he ran 4.8s 40-time at nearly 300lbs... That's crazy. None of the DE's on the roster ran faster than 4.9's. Typically 5s flat.

DT... Heard that McCullers changed up his offseason regimen in an effort to push for more playing time. Somethin about him dropping weight & improving his explosiveness. Would love to see that mammoth of a man make more of an impact.

DE depth is the most exciting thing about this part of the roster. Hargrave got a few snaps at DE LY as well. Should be no reason to burn out Heyward and Tuitt playing 95% anymore. Walton is not much of a penetrator, but Alualu is noted to be solid at run stopping and penetration. McCullers quietly does his job when called upon, but rarely makes any plays...if he comes in with better conditioning that can only be a plus.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Shifting to OFC.

QB...3

Locks...Ben, Jones, Dobbs.

Ben has officially said, he's on a yr by yr pitch count now. To me that means if the team continues to look like a real contender and he has the health he'll play.

We'll probably never know the real reason Mett was never really in the mix, but whatever it is seems to be in his DNA because he's too good of a talent not to stick as a backup in this league imo. I like the dual threat capability of Dobbs...I'm assuming he won't have a helmet much this season if at all, but I'm thinking he'll give Jones a push for the QB2 job next year.

OL-8

61

Friend, Kyle C 6-2 305 23 1 Temple
62 Matthews, Mike C 6-2 300 23 1 Texas A&M
53 Pouncey, Maurkice C 6-4 304 27 8 Florida
67 Finney, B.J. C/G 6-4 318 25 2 Kansas State
74 Hubbard, Chris C/G 6-4 295 26 4 UAB
64

Cooper, Ethan G 6-2 322 21 R Indiana (PA)
66 DeCastro, David G 6-5 316 27 6 Stanford
73 Foster, Ramon G 6-5 328 31 9 Tennessee

71

Feiler, Matt OT 6-6 330 24 1 Bloomsburg (PA)
77 Gilbert, Marcus OT 6-6 330 29 7 Florida
65 Hawkins, Jerald OT 6-6 305 23 2 LSU
69 Mihalik, Brian OT 6-9 302 24 2 Boston College
76 Milton, Keavon OT 6-4 320 26 2 Louisiana-Monroe
68 Rodgers, Jake OT 6-6 320 25 1 Eastern Washington
78 Villanueva, Alejandro OT 6-9 320 28 3 Army

OT...3

Locks...Villaneuava, Gilbert

Likely...Hawkins or Feiler

I don't have a firm grasp on the depth guys here. I do know they liked Hawkins a lot and felt he could play both sides. That makes him the perfect swing OT, but he went on IR, never played a down. I wonder if he comes back and picks up where he left off. Feiler is the next guy up I think. I thought this would be the yr for a long term deal for AVill...I hope they lock him up soon.

OG/C...5

Locks...Foster, DeCastro, Pouncey, Finney

Likely...Hubbard

I think Finney can start in this league and if Foster was not such a presence in the locker room and a leader on the field, I think he would be gone in favor of Finney. Hubbard keeps getting the call and he keeps delivering when called on...I think it will be hard to unseat him.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

jtberry37 - @chrisboswell9 hit a Mole in one today #RIP

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[ATL96Steeler]

RB, FB & TE

Go with the RBs first.

26

Bell, Le'Veon RB 6-1 225 25 5 Michigan State
30 Conner, James RB 6-1 233 22 R Pittsburgh
34 Davis, Knile RB 5-11 227 25 4 Arkansas
38 Shell, Rushel RB 5-9 227 23 R West Virginia
33 Toussaint, Fitzgerald RB 5-9 204 27 4 Michigan
35 Williams, Trey RB 5-7 200 24 2 Texas A&M

I think this one is fairly simple

3 will probably be the number.

Locks, Bell, Conner

Likely, Davis

Unless one of the smallish RBs can make a real strong showing in a camp/preseason I think there are your top 3. The only question here is will Bell play under the tag or will they be able to ink a long term deal to bring his cap hit down...imo it all depends on what his agent is pushing for. If he's trying to break the RB price model because of Bell's unique ability as a rusher and a receiver, nothing may not get done. I get the sense the Steelers are willing to pay him as the top RB in the league, if they are willing to accept that, maybe the deal gets done before the season.

FB...it can't get any easier than this. It's Nix, or it's Nix.

I'd love to see them use him a little more in the passing game this yr.

TE...This will be one of the more interesting positions to watch in camp.

89

Green, Ladarius TE 6-6 240 26 6 Louisiana-Lafayette
85 Grimble, Xavier TE 6-4 261 24 2 USC
81 James, Jesse TE 6-7 261 22 3 Penn State
82 Johnson, David TE 6-2 260 29 9 Arkansas State
87 Malleck, Ryan TE 6-4 249 23 1 Virginia Tech
80 Orndoff, Scott TE 6-4 253 23 R Pittsburgh

Currently 6 guys...I think they cut this down to 4, but it wouldn't surprise me if 5 is the number for one obvious reason.

Locks...Green, James, Johnson.

The huge caveat here is the health of Ladarius Green. We all think he's a concussion away from retirement. According to what I've read, Colbert and Tomlin expect to have him back in full force. When he's on the field he's a difference maker...there's no question there. James is quietly imo the best two-way TE on the roster, but has yet to make that leap to be Ben's go to guy. I wonder if he's near his ceiling as a pass catcher....I hope not because you look at the guy and you think he should have 8 to 10 TS every season. LY he had 3.

Johnson really has the Spaeth role at this point...he's the 6th OL basically. imo he could be used a little more in the passing game to take some of the predictability out of the playcalling.

From here I want to break down the suitors for what I think will be the final spot.

Some experience.

Grimble...has some athletic ability, he shows flashes of being that big seam target that Green is, but he's not consistent and that cost him Haley's trust. When Green went down, Grimble was not called on much to pick up the slack...he needs a good camp & preseason to make this team imo.

Malleck...not a whole lot out there on this guy. Is he a camp body? Does he have a legit shot to make this team? At best he has to show he can complete camp in good health but I say the odds are stacked against him.

Scott Orndoff...UDFA...local kid from PITT...the combine results and the fact that he played in a pro style OFC with decent results suggests he has a shot to make this team. It would not surprise me at all if he's on this team in Sept...worse case on the PS.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

TJ Watt

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Smith-Schuster

James Conner

Josh Dobbs

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

RB, FB & TE

Go with the RBs first.

26

Bell, Le'Veon RB 6-1 225 25 5 Michigan State
30 Conner, James RB 6-1 233 22 R Pittsburgh
34 Davis, Knile RB 5-11 227 25 4 Arkansas
38 Shell, Rushel RB 5-9 227 23 R West Virginia
33 Toussaint, Fitzgerald RB 5-9 204 27 4 Michigan
35 Williams, Trey RB 5-7 200 24 2 Texas A&M

I think this one is fairly simple

3 will probably be the number.

Locks, Bell, Conner

Likely, Davis

Unless one of the smallish RBs can make a real strong showing in a camp/preseason I think there are your top 3. The only question here is will Bell play under the tag or will they be able to ink a long term deal to bring his cap hit down...imo it all depends on what his agent is pushing for. If he's trying to break the RB price model because of Bell's unique ability as a rusher and a receiver, nothing may not get done. I get the sense the Steelers are willing to pay him as the top RB in the league, if they are willing to accept that, maybe the deal gets done before the season.

FB...it can't get any easier than this. It's Nix, or it's Nix.

I'd love to see them use him a little more in the passing game this yr.

TE...This will be one of the more interesting positions to watch in camp.

89

Green, Ladarius TE 6-6 240 26 6 Louisiana-Lafayette
85 Grimble, Xavier TE 6-4 261 24 2 USC
81 James, Jesse TE 6-7 261 22 3 Penn State
82 Johnson, David TE 6-2 260 29 9 Arkansas State
87 Malleck, Ryan TE 6-4 249 23 1 Virginia Tech
80 Orndoff, Scott TE 6-4 253 23 R Pittsburgh

Currently 6 guys...I think they cut this down to 4, but it wouldn't surprise me if 5 is the number for one obvious reason.

Locks...Green, James, Johnson.

The huge caveat here is the health of Ladarius Green. We all think he's a concussion away from retirement. According to what I've read, Colbert and Tomlin expect to have him back in full force. When he's on the field he's a difference maker...there's no question there. James is quietly imo the best two-way TE on the roster, but has yet to make that leap to be Ben's go to guy. I wonder if he's near his ceiling as a pass catcher....I hope not because you look at the guy and you think he should have 8 to 10 TS every season. LY he had 3.

Johnson really has the Spaeth role at this point...he's the 6th OL basically. imo he could be used a little more in the passing game to take some of the predictability out of the playcalling.

From here I want to break down the suitors for what I think will be the final spot.

Some experience.

Grimble...has some athletic ability, he shows flashes of being that big seam target that Green is, but he's not consistent and that cost him Haley's trust. When Green went down, Grimble was not called on much to pick up the slack...he needs a good camp & preseason to make this team imo.

Malleck...not a whole lot out there on this guy. Is he a camp body? Does he have a legit shot to make this team? At best he has to show he can complete camp in good health but I say the odds are stacked against him.

Scott Orndoff...UDFA...local kid from PITT...the combine results and the fact that he played in a pro style OFC with decent results suggests he has a shot to make this team. It would not surprise me at all if he's on this team in Sept...worse case on the PS.

RBs... Yep. So long as Nix is healthy, there's no reason to carry a 4th RB. I'd like to see Shell stick around on the PS.

TE... Read about the Phazahn Odom kid that is currently in their rookie minicamp. He was on a lot of draft sleeper lists. Supposedly has some pretty good athleticism. Not sure if its enough to unseat someone like Grimble. I like Orndoff but he's a Matt Spaeth prototype with very limited upside. Doubt he'll stick around.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[ATL96Steeler]

RBs... Yep. So long as Nix is healthy, there's no reason to carry a 4th RB. I'd like to see Shell stick around on the PS.

TE... Read about the Phazahn Odom kid that is currently in their rookie minicamp. He was on a lot of draft sleeper lists. Supposedly has some pretty good athleticism. Not sure if its enough to unseat someone like Grimble. I like Orndoff but he's a Matt Spaeth prototype with very limited upside. Doubt he'll stick around.

Orndoff...really? Thought he might have more catching ability than that...if that's the case...he won't stick around then. Odom...interesting will have to do some home work on him.

With Juju being a lock @ WR...makes me wonder if they will go with 1 less TE.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

WRs

Possibly the most interesting camp battles will be at this position. With Justin Hunter being signed, Martavious Bryant being reinstated and Juju Smith-Schuster being drafted, it went from being crowded to being really crowded.

15

Ayers, Demarcus WR 5-9 190 22 1 Houston
84 Brown, Antonio WR 5-10 181 28 8 Central Michigan
10 Bryant, Martavis WR 6-4 211 25 3 Clemson
14 Coates, Sammie WR 6-1 212 24 3 Auburn
83 Hamilton, Cobi WR 6-2 201 26 2 Arkansas
88 Heyward-Bey, Darrius WR 6-2 210 30 9 Maryland
11 Hunter, Justin WR 6-4 203 25 5 Tennessee
17 Rogers, Eli WR 5-10 187 24 3 Louisville
19 Smith-Schuster, JuJu WR 6-1 215 20 R USC
16 Tucker, Marcus WR 5-10 190 24 1 Northern Michigan

I'm going to say the number is 6.

My locks...AB, MB, Juju

Likely...Hunter, Rogers

Needs a good camp...DHB, Coates, Ayers, Hamilton.

WR1...AB is the clear cut all around WR on this team. He can play inside, outside, runs the full route tree, but imo is most effective underneath.

WR2...Bryant is the most talented player. Obviously he's been off for an entire season. Looks a lot bigger and reports are he's even faster now. With him, you have to constantly be concerned about the deep ball. But the deep out will also be open a lot with his speed. Can he walk the straight and narrow path he'll be on.

WR3...imo Juju is going to end up with this job...he's a big target slot player. IMO he's not insurance for Bryant, he might be for passes that would normally go to Green or Rogers....as much as I wanted another position in round two...this kid could be the biggest impact rookie on this team if he's the RZ target I think he might be for Ben.

WR4/5...Rogers or Hunter. I like having both these guys on the field in a 5 wides, but in 4 wide Haley will have some options...the quick underneath guy or another deep threat guy. IMO Hunter was insurance for Bryant...similar skill set.

WR6...I think DHB will ultimately win this job as a ST leader and vet guy willing to accept that role. I think Coates will get a chance to be a #3 or #4 on another team. Hamilton still needs to develop as well...same with Ayers.

For whatever reason, if Hunter is not in shape and doesn't seem to fit, I can see one of these 3 guys here, but Hunter will have to fail imo.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

ST-3

LS, Warren or Holba, the infamous 6th rd pick. If Holba doesn't win the job, which I think he will. (I have a feeling Warren has hinted on retiring) they will most like PS him not to totally embarrass themselves.

K, Boswell

P, Berry

So to recap my numbers

OFC - 25

QB-3
WR-6
OL-8
RB-3
FB-1
TE-4

DEF - 25

DL-6
LB-9
CB-6
S-4

We can revisit this late summer and see how this prediction holds up.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

@FaCe-LeE-uS

And I never even looked at his until just now...we're off on a few but eerily close.

Kozora 2017 Steelers 53 Man Roster Prediction - Post Draft Edition - Steelers Depot