The Steelers have until Aug. 31 to trim their roster from 90 players to 53. And while in many cases that's not all that hard with this team, it's looking more difficult by the day.
Some scoffed in the spring when special teams coordinator Danny Smith said the Steelers were going to cut some players this season who will play elsewhere in the league. But that's easily the case with this group. There are 60 players who could easily make an NFL roster. Cutting down to 53 won't be easy. In fact, barring some major injuries or something else unforeseen, it might wind up being painful.
The Steelers have just under two weeks -- and two more preseason games -- before they have to make those decisions. A lot can happen between now and then.
But here's an early look at how the 53-man roster is shaking out with two weeks to go.
Quarterbacks (3): Ben Roethlisberger, Mason Rudolph, Josh Dobbs
Devlin Hodges is a great story. And he's looked good throughout training camp and in the team's first preseason games. But he's not without his flaws. He doesn't have the strongest arm and he's likely no more than a career backup. That's the upside on Dobbs, as well, but he's bright and his mobility will be something the Steelers can use in their No. 3 to replicate some of the scrambling they'll see at the position this season. That's really what it is all about. The No. 3 has to be able to properly run the scout team. And Dobbs is the best to do that. And yes, Rudolph has done enough to be the No. 2.
Running backs (5): James Conner, Jaylen Samuels, Roosevelt Nix (FB), Trey Edmunds, Benny Snell
Snell, a fourth-round draft pick, has shown promise in pass protection and on special teams. But Edmunds is a better pure running back right now. And he's also a good special teams player in his own right. This is a tough call and it could be a spot where the team only goes with four players the first week because of injuries at other positions. But this is the way it's looking right now.
Wide receivers (6): JuJu Smith-Schuster, Donte Moncrief, James Washington, Diontae Johnson, Ryan Switzer, Eli Rogers
This could come down to Roethlisberger's preference. And the guess here is he will prefer to have both Switzer and Rogers on the team over the likes of Johnny Holton, Tevin Jones and Diontae Spencer. Spencer is interesting because of his punt return skills, but he's not better as a receiver than Switzer or Rogers. He's had too many drops throughout the spring and training camp.
Tight ends (3): Vance McDonald, Xavier Grimble, unnamed veteran from another team
Something is going to happen at this position. Ideally, the Steelers could acquire somebody to be their No. 2 tight end and push Grimble back to being the No. 3. Zach Gentry, a fifth-round pick, needs to get stronger. Kevin Rader has had his moments at training camp, but he had a fumble in Week 1 of the preseason and a pair of holding penalties in Week 2. The team has to trade for a veteran or hope somebody who can help gets cut loose in two weeks.
Offensive line (9): Alejandro Villenueva, Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, Matt Feiler, B.J. Finney, Chuks Okorafor, Zach Banner, Fred Johnson
Tough cuts here, as Jerald Hawkins, seventh-round pick Derwin Gray and interior lineman J.C. Hassenauer all have pedigree or potential. Center Patrick Morris isn't bad, either. Teams will be watching what the Steelers do at this position very closely. Johnson has been a pleasant surprise as an undrafted free agent, while Banner has shown he can play both right and left tackle.
Defensive line (6): Cameron Heyward, Javon Hargrave, Stephon Tuitt, Tyson Alualu, Daniel McCullers, Isaiah Buggs
This group is pretty straightforward. Some people won't be pleased to see McCullers on the team again, but if he sees the field for five plays per game, that will be a lot. Buggs has shown enough promise to be the sixth guy. Henry Mondeaux and Casey Sayles have, as well, but Buggs has more upside.
Outside linebackers (4): Bud Dupree, T.J. Watt, Anthony Chickillo, Ola Adeniyi
People are talking about Adeniyi as if he will be out for the season. He might miss the regular-season opener, but he'll return soon after that. The Steelers played 10 weeks last year with three active outside linebackers and Vince Williams can play there in a pinch.
Inside linebackers (5): Vince Williams, Mark Barron, Devin Bush, Tyler Matakevich, Ulysees Gilbert
Robert Spillane is a tough cut. He can play. But Gilbert's speed is undeniable. The injury to Adeniyi could create a spot for Spillane, but the Steelers have some interesting moves to make at inside linebacker.
Cornerbacks (6): Joe Haden, Steven Nelson, Cameron Sutton, Artie Burns, Mike Hilton, Justin Layne
Brian Allen has had two years to make an impact. It just hasn't happened. But that doesn't mean he can't play somewhere. Hilton makes it even tougher — he's well on his way toward losing the slot job. The team taking a look at him at safety Saturday night against the Chiefs was telling. They're trying to see what kind of overall value he has.
Safety (3): Sean Davis, Terrell Edmunds, Jordan Dangerfield
Kameron Kelly heads to the practice squad if the Steelers can get him there. Hilton makes it over him because he will wind up being the backup slot corner and a backup safety. The Steelers also could choose to go with two tight ends or one fewer running back or receiver. Again, tough calls all around.
Specialists (3): Chris Boswell, Jordan Berry, Kameron Kanaday
Boswell looks like he's back to normal. Berry and Kanaday are solid if unspectacular.
That's it. That's how things look right now. Injuries could obviously change that. And, as you can see, there are some tough cuts to make. That's why these last two weeks should be very interesting.
