Analysis, Breakdown Of Steelers 2013 Roster

                      photo courtesy of Matt Vargo

The Steelers announced their cuts, current roster and current practice squad Saturday and Sunday. Because of knowing that certain players being designated for the PUP list, the 8-week Injured Reserve or complete Injured Reserve, we knew the names would change. We just didn't realize how soon. 

To start, the Steelers' initial cuts were Jonathan Dwyer, Alameda Ta'amu, Terry Hawthorne, Justin Brown, Brian Moorman, Josh Victorian, Marshall McFadden, Jamie McCoy, Reggie Dunn, Mike Golic, Joe Madsen, Chris Hubbard, Brian Arnflet, Alex Baxter, Terrence Garvin, Devin Smith, Alevester Alexander, Joe Long, Nathan Overbay, Brian Rolle and Ross Ventrone cut. 

The cut that was a big surprise to many was Dwyer, a fan favorite and the team's leading rusher last season. Yes, the yardage total, 623 yards on 156 carries for 3.99 yards per carry, was the lowest run total by a leading rusher in nearly 50 years (Dick Hoak in 1963 had 679 yards), but he was the most consistent. 

It also, though, should not have been a surprise to loyal readers of If It Ain't Steel as we had suggested that, if he did actually even make the team, that he could be gone once Bell returned. We even said so in our roster prediction blog which we weren't able to update because of personal matters. It also covers the practice squad parameters. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2013/08/its-time-for-our-look-at-projected.html

It isn't that we didn't want to see him stay, in fact, one half of If It Ain't Steel was livid over his release. And for seemingly good reason. 

Was it fumbles as some have suggested? No. Redman has fumbled the ball seven times in 273-career carries. Dwyer? Twice in 181 carries. More on this in our next piece, though.

As for those whom we thought would make the roster and then the players who did instead go as follows: Dwyer as we've stated, inside linebacker Marshall McFadden, cornerback Terrance Hawthorne (but he was in tub instead of on the field too much), Reggie Dunn and Alan Baxter (though he did make the practice squad). 

Those whom we were surprised over making it: tight end Michael Palmer nose tackle Hebron Fangupo (a very powerful 0-technique prototype nose tackle), cornerback Isaiah Green, safety Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith, linebacker Kion Wilson, that god-awful Guy Whimper, and Devin Smith and Alvester Alexander on the practice squad.

ASIDE: With approximately $3.9 million available under the Salary Cap, every tackle on two legs whose last name isn't Whimper is worth looking at at this point.

As for the roster change on Sunday, center/guard Cody Wallace was signed to the roster and replaced John Malecki. A true journeyman, Wallace has bounced around to seven teams now after being a 4th-round draft pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2008. Malecki has used up his practice squad eligibility and must be signed to a team's roster. 

It's a curious move considering the Steelers usually stick with what they know rather than they don't know. It was suggested that they felt they needed more experience for backups on offensive line. Ok, but Cody Wallace has 18 career snaps, whereas John Malecki has 31 career snaps. 

Curiouser and curiouser...

Here now is the link to the official Steelers roster complete with PUP and practice squad lists, minus DeMarcus Van Dyke whom the Steelers waived on Friday from the injured reserve with an injury settlement. - http://www.steelers.com/team/roster.html

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TIDBITS: The short-version timeline for linebacker Sean Spence's return after being placed on the reserve PUP list is as follows: he’ll be eligible to return to practice after week six and through week 10. He'll then have two more weeks to be added to the regular 53-man roster. 

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Steelers team captains have been chosen. They are: Big Ben, Maurkice Pouncey, Brett Keisel and RC25.

Taking A Look At The Initial 2012 Steelers Roster

Yes, we said initial. The official roster will change the Monday after opening day. Then it will change again after the bye week. Aside from anything else injury-related, it will also change yet again after the short-term IR (Injured Reserve) is up after, we believe, eight weeks. 

The original proposal for the new rule was for the amount of time mentioned, and was only for players with a "major injury" who were placed on IR after 1600 hours EST Tuesday, September 4 or thereafter during the season, in order to be reactivated at a later time. Which would seem to be perfect for David DeCastro since his diagnosis dictated that he could potentially return in "3-5 months."

The way things had been going with regard to injuries, though, the Steelers may not put DeCastro on eight week IR just yet. Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert concurs. 

"The new rule will allow us to bring one person back from injured reserve once we put that person on injured reserve," Colbert said. "And DeCastro may be a candidate for that, we're not decided at this point. Right now, David will be carried on our active roster and we'll move forward from there."

Colbert's comments mean the Steelers will wait until after week one to re-sign a player, perhaps Trai Essex. By doing so they wouldn't have to guarantee that players' full salary for the year. If it is Essex, being that he's a vested veteran, he isn't subjected to the waiver process and was simply released. Most likely won't receive any offer sheet. (Let's be real, he's most likely staring at his phone right now trying to Jedi Mind Trick Colbert into calling him.)

Sean Spence is another story. He tore several knee ligaments and is done for the year along with David Johnson. Depth at linebacker and offensive line are both a concern. So, with these three men down, and with Max Starks, James Harrison and Jason Worilds being limited in the first game of the season and Stevenson Sylvester down for four weeks, players like Mike Adams, Chris Carter, and Adrian Robinson have to show that they're ready for prime time. 

Most of the roster spots were a given, naturally. If we'd gotten someone like No. 7 or No. 43 wrong we'd be turning in our keys to the Steeler Nation executive restroom. But a Mortty Ivy over a Brandon Johnson or a Jamie McCoy over a David Paulson is excusable. Ivy had to be waived/injured because of a left hamstring or he and Robinson would be your eighth and ninth LBs instead. It also made Marshall McFadden the obvious choice for the practice squad linebacker. 

Another area where we were wrong was at the wide receiver spot and the safety spot. First, we gambled and went with five wide receivers instead of going with our gut and penciling in four. We thought David Gilreath had shown enough to merit a fifth spot. We didn't even have seventh round draft pick Limas Sweed, er uh, Toney Clemons making the P.S., but he evidently showed enough to be kept.

We then selected Cromartie-Smith over Robert Golden and put Terrence Frederick on the P.S. The Steelers went with ballhawk Golden and his versatility-he can play both free safety and cornerback and may not be cut once Ryan Clark comes back but would simply play both positions when needed throughout the season. 

Also kept were Josh Victorian, who benefitted from the injury sustained by Terry Carter, and offensive lineman Ryan Lee. (For some reason I think of Lenny from "Of Mice And Men" when I think of him: big and burly corn-fed mauler who's just as kind as he wants to be off the field...just without the "loving" little animals to death.)

Without further ado, here is your initial 2012 Steelers roster in photo format by Matt Vargo, listed by position, followed by our injury-adjusted eight member practice squad and the actual squad:

ADJUSTED 8-man Practice Squad projection: LB M.McFadden, WR/KR Gilreath, DL C.Bryant, OL R.Lee, CB T.Frederick, S D.Cromartie-Smith, RB J.Harris & OL J.Malecki

The actual eight players were offensive linemen John Malecki and Ryan Lee, wide receivers David Gilreath and Toney Clemons, tight end Jamie McCoy, linebacker Marshall McFadden, safety Damon Cromartie-Smith and cornerback Josh Victorian.