Getting to know the bottom of the Steelers roster
Word of warning for Pittsburgh Steelers fans preparing to watch tonight鈥檚 preseason opener against the Detroit Lions:
Unless you鈥檙e a deep-down-the-depth-chart kind of a fan, don鈥檛 get too excited.
Ruled out already have been Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Le鈥橵eon Bell, DeAngelo Williams, Maurkice Pouncey, Markus Wheaton, Travis Feeney, Artie Burns, Senquez Golson, Roy Philon and Jerald Hawkins.
Burns, of course, is the first-round pick, and I expect second-round pick Sean Davis to see minimal time, at best, because of a minor knee injury he鈥檚 been icing of late in the middle of practices.
That means the Steelers will be without their offensive star power, and most likely four of their top five draft picks. And I also see several other starters sitting this one out, too.
If you鈥檙e still with me in this column, let鈥檚 grind on, because many of you watch preseason games for the individual talent at troubled positions anyway, and that鈥檚 what I鈥檒l talk about first, the troubled positions:
TIGHT END 鈥� I鈥檝e been beating the drum that this position is in chaos because Ladarius Green hasn鈥檛 been close to returning. Now, according to his agent, he鈥檚 suffering headaches, possibly as a result of multiple concussions suffered last year. So let鈥檚 just assume that Green will remain on the PUP list for considerably more time, and it鈥檚 up to Jesse James (81), Xavier Grimble (85) and David Johnson (46) to make something out of the position this season. There are a couple of other extreme long shots, but in my opinion the key guy to watch tonight is Grimble. He鈥檚 athletic but inconsistent, and the worry is thaT he and James won鈥檛 offer much as blockers. That鈥檚 what I鈥檒l be watching tonight.
SECONDARY 鈥� If Davis (28) plays, he鈥檚 a treat. The hope is he鈥檚 as good in coverage when the games being as he has been in practice, because there鈥檚 no doubting his striking ability. He鈥檚 a safety/slot corner if healthy. If he鈥檚 not healthy, the key player to watch is Montell Garner (40), who鈥檚 been alternating with Davis in the slot with the first-team nickel since Golson has been out. Garner was cut late last camp as a rookie with the Rams. Also, a long shot I鈥檒l watch closely tonight is 6-2, 200-pound cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz (44). Out of West Chester State, he鈥檚 been in a couple of camps and 鈥淗odge鈥� is an intriguing developmental prospect.
Can last year鈥檚 fourth-round pick Doran Grant (24) make a showing at cornerback? How about the Roy Hobbs story, 30-year-old Donald Washington (30)? He鈥檚 been out of the NFL for five years. At safety, Jordan Dangerfield (37) blows stuff up and Pitt鈥檚 Ray Vinopal (39) is physical, quick and smart.
Regardless, one of these long shots has to turn into a serviceable player because not only is the starting talent in question, the depth is razor thin.
QUARTERBACK 鈥� Dustin Vaughan (13) is the guy you鈥檝e never seen. He鈥檚 not as bad, in my opinion, as camp reporters have indicated. You can see for yourself tonight. I鈥檓 rooting for Bruce Gradkowski (5) to get back into a groove after taking last season off. He needs the reps.
RUNNING BACK 鈥� The goal-line runners last Sunday will likely be the bell cows tonight: Fitzgerald Toussaint (33), Daryl Richardson (38) and Cameron Stingily (30). But I like the tough-little-quick guy from Mercyhurst, Brandon Brown-Dukes (24).
WIDE RECEIVER 鈥� Sammie Coates (14) is your star power tonight and Eli Rogers (17) just needs to show a little bit as a punt returner to hold off rookie Demarcus Ayers (82) because Rogers has shown plenty in practice as a viable slot receiver. A roster lock in my opinion, Rogers looks like he鈥檒l force Ayers to the practice squad. The intriguing long shot is 6-foot-6 Issac Blakeney (16) out of Duke.
OFFENSIVE LINE 鈥� With rookie Hawkins out, perhaps 6-9 D-line conversion project Brian Mihalik (6-9) can impress as a second-team tackle. Chris Hubbard (74) and B.J. Finney (67) are in a hot roster battle at G/C.
DEFENSIVE LINE 鈥� Javon Hargrave (79), the 鈥淕rave Digger,鈥� is the man to watch tonight. He鈥檒l be on the nose in the 3-4 and at tackle in the 4-3 nickel. Also look for big improvement this preseason from 2015 draft pick L.T. Walton (96). Undrafted rookies Devaunte Sigler (61) and Johnny Maxey (62) are probably the top candidates for the practice squad.
LINEBACKERS 鈥� Mike Tomlin didn鈥檛 rule out pass-rushers Bud Dupree or Jarvis Jones but both of those first-rounders have been sidelined of late. Nice guys, but it might help the club a bit if they get on the field at some point. I don鈥檛 expect Ryan Shazier, Lawrence Timmons or James Harrison to play, either, so the linebacker to watch is second-year pass-rusher Anthony Chickillo (56), one of the most publicized players at training camp. Inside linebackers L.J. Fort (54) and 鈥淒irty Red,鈥� Temple rookie Tyler Matakevich (46), have also had strong camps.