The Pittsburgh Steelers officially announced their roster cuts on Saturday, marking their initial 53-man roster for the 2019 season. We understand things will change over the next 24-48 hours but for now here are our big takeaways from all the action on Saturday.
Only five wide receivers
It came as something of a surprise the Steelers opted to only keep five wide receivers on their initial 53-man roster. This meant the Steelers cut Eli Rogers and Johnny Holton, both of whom we thought had a solid chance to make the team. What does this mean? If I were a betting man, someone is heading to injured reserve on Sunday and that roster spot will be filled by a wide receiver. Will it be a guy the Steelers just released or perhaps someone another team let go? That remains to be seen.
Ola Adeniyi on the 53-man roster
Speaking of guys heading to IR, Adeniyi has to be on the final roster before he could head to IR. And considering he’s coming off meniscus surgery just a couple of weeks ago, he’s a prime candidate. As insurance, the Steelers locked up Tuzar Skipper on the 53-man as well. If Adeniyi wasn’t heading to IR, Skipper could have been a more likely candidate for the practice squad.
No young backup safeties
I’m not going to lie. I was disappointed to see P.J. Locke and Dravon Askew-Henry cut while Jordan Dangerfield was kept. We’ve seen everything Dangerfield can give this team and it isn’t a lot beyond special teams. Askew-Henry and Locke both have tremendous potential and hopefully at least one is brought back on the practice squad.
Two rookies released
Two of the Steelers 2019 NFL draft class didn’t make the final roster. Outside linebacker Sutton Smith was a fan favorite coming out of college but a longshot after suffering an abdominal injury during training camp. The emergence of Skipper also hurt Smith’s chances. The other is guard Derwin Gray. Despite being a seventh-round pick, many pundits liked the pick. Unfortunately, his play in the preseason was forgettable and the depth along the offensive line made him expendable.
