10 Steelers in the worst position to make the roster with no preseason games

Some Steelers won’t get a shot to show what they can do this offseason.

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It seems it is all but a foregone conclusion the NFL is not going to bother with a preseason schedule at all. While this will be a hardship for every team, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the only team we care about here. And make no mistake, this is going to make proper player evaluation a nightmare. This will also mean lots of promising young players will not get a shot to prove their worth before being cut.

Here are the 10 guys we really are rooting for but are in the worst positions to make the final 53-man roster if there’s no preseason.

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Most of these guys are UDFA but still players with a ton of promise. Without a preseason, the Steelers and all NFL teams are going to have to play it safe and go with what they know when it comes to depth on their rosters.

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3 starters who could lose their jobs in 2020 you might not have thought of

Several 2019 starters could be out of work this season.

Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going all-in on winning in 2020. Despite starting the offseason with almost no salary cap space, Pittsburgh found a way to get their roster in order with minimal losses. With a tremendous amount of uncertainty still around what training camp and the season is going to look like. roster decisions are going to a whole different challenge.

Here are three guys who could end up being replaced in the starting lineup you might not be thinking about.

RB James Conner

We all love the story of Conner. His journey to the NFL is destined for an ESPN 30for30 and there’s no denying his fan appeal. But the combination of mounting injury concerns and pending free agency could really hurt him this season. The Steelers have guys like Benny Snell Jr. and Anthony McFarland Jr. just waiting for their opportunity. Both players add a dynamic to the offense Conner cannot.

Pittsburgh Steelers 2020 training camp preview: Outside linebacker

The Steelers are set at outside linebacker.

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Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers had the most dynamic pass-rushing tandem in the NFL. If the Steelers want to get back to the playoffs, they need a repeat performance from this unit, especially considering this might be the last season it looks this good.

Here’s our look back and forward for the Pittsburgh outside linebacker.

Looking back at 2019

Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt really were the dynamic duo of edge rushers last season. The two combined for 26 sacks, 30 tackles for loss and 53 quarterback hits. You could say the Steelers didn’t have much in the way of depth at outside linebacker but it really didn’t matter. Dupree played just over 90 percent of the defensive snaps and Watt played 86.25 percent. The Steelers have a long tradition of dominant outside linebackers and these two held up that tradition with pride.

Looking ahead to 2020

Watt and Dupree return but with Dupree playing on the franchise tag, it’s highly likely this will be his last year in Pittsburgh. This means it is in the Steelers best interest to rotate guys in a little more. Ola Adeniyi has shown some promise but this year’s third-round pick, Alex Highsmith is a better overall candidate to replace Dupree in 2021. Either way, these guys need reps for the coaches to see what they have.

Overall

It was tremendous to see the light finally come on for Dupree. He turned it into a huge one-year payday and if he can repeat and even build on it, this can only help Pittsburgh. Watt on the other hand is a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate and one of the best all-around defenders in the NFL. This positional unit is in great hands for this season and the future.

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3 worst salary cap hits on the Steelers roster

The Steelers don’t always make the wisest salary-cap decisions.

Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Every season, the Pittsburgh Steelers find a way to hold their roster together despite the restraints of an NFL salary cap. But this doesn’t mean every contract decision is the best one. Here are the three worst salary cap hits on the books right now for the Steelers.

Tight end | Vance McDonald $3.827 million

Considering the Steelers signed Eric Ebron as a free agent, I’m a little surprised the Steelers kept McDonald’s $3.827 million on the books for the 2020 season. Mcdonald has 88 receptions in the past two seasons but has never been a consistent part of the Steelers’ offense.

Is continuity the key for the Steelers in 2020?

The Steelers return more than 80 percent of their snaps from last season.

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Turnover is an unstoppable inevitability in the NFL. With the salary cap as it is, players starting and finishing their careers with the same team is practically unheard of. But maintaining as much consistency in a roster is key to consistent success.

ESPN went through and broke down each team for continuity based on the percentage of snaps returning for 2020. According to ESPN, the Steelers will return 82.4 percent of last season’s snaps, which puts them fifth in the NFL and one of only five teams to return more than 80 percent from last season.

The big losses for the Steelers in terms of snaps are guard Ramon Foster, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and linebacker Mark Barron. The three of them combined for 2,252 snaps last season.

In addition, the article talked about turnover at key coaching positions. The Steelers return the heart of their staff with head coach Mike Tomlin coming back as well as all three major coordinators.

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4 most overrated Steelers on the roster for 2020

These four Steelers get much more credit than they deserve.

Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

There’s no denying the Pittsburgh Steelers have a loaded roster. You scan both sides of the football and you see former first and second-round picks everywhere. But there are some guys on the roster who aren’t bad but the perceptions of talented they are is skewed by the players around them.

Not surprisingly, all the guys on our overrated list are on the offensive side of the football. Here are our four most overrated Steelers.

OT Alejandro Villanueva

We are going to find out if Villaneuva can perform without Ramon Foster next to him on the offensive line. As a pass protector, Villanueva was solid in 2019. He allowed two sacks but overall wasn’t a liability. But his run blocking left much to be desired. Villaneuva was called for 10 penalties last season and it showed up on film just how much he struggled in helping the run game.

3 things the Steelers still need to finish up their roster before the start of the season

The Steelers aren’t quite done doing business this offseason.

(AP Photo/Don Wright)

Despite going into the offseason with very little money to spend, the Pittsburgh Steelers front office did a nice job getting their roster in order and be sure the Steelers can be competitive in the AFC. But with the preseason less than three months away, the work isn’t done.

Here are three things the  Steelers still need to finish up before the start of the season.

Bringing in a veteran inside linebacker

I have as much optimism as anyone when it comes to the potential of Ulysees Gilbert III as the team’s third off-ball linebacker. Nevertheless, Pittsburgh should still look into adding another player who could take that fourth spot and be an ace on special teams while still providing support on defense.

4 reasons why the Steelers won’t win the Super Bowl

If any of these things happen, the Steelers are in trouble.

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

After two straight years without a trip to the playoffs, Pittsburgh Steelers fans are both frustrated and hopeful for the 2020 season. The return of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger should mean the Steelers are a contender for the AFC but here are four things that will almost assure the Steelers won’t make it to the Super Bowl, much less win it.

Another catastrophic injury

Who qualifies as irreplaceable on the Steelers roster right now? Obvious No. 1 is Roethlisberger. If the Steelers lose Big Ben again, the season will once again be lost. But is there another player who qualifies? A case could be made that linebacker T.J. Watt and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick could both be players, if lost for the season would sink the season.

Biggest challenge facing each of the Steelers top coaches in 2020

Each Steelers coach has an important job for the upcoming season.

The talent is there. The Pittsburgh Steelers are absolutely loaded on both sides of the football. Starting lineups packed with top draft picks. There are no more excuses for the Steelers coaching staff when it comes to missing the playoffs.

After two seasons without a spot in the playoffs, the coaching staff must get their top priorities squared away so there are no more excuses for not being a contender in the AFC. Here is the biggest challenge each of the Steelers faces this season.

DC Keith Butler-Improving run defense without Javon Hargrave

The one big loss on the Steelers roster this offseason has been defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. His leaving for Philadelphia leaves a huge hole in the middle of the Steelers defensive line. It sounds like the plan is to replace Hargrave in the starting lineup with Tyson Alualu but this is not an upgrade. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler is going to be tasked with improving the one weak spot on the Steelers defense — the run defense — without his best interior defender.

Joe Haden has lofty expectations for Steelers defense in 2020

The Steelers defense has all the tools to be the best in the NFL in 2020. Just ask Joe Haden.

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On Friday, Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joe Haden did a video call for the NFL Network’s NFL at Home interview series. The focus was about the Steelers defense that really stepped up last season and Haden was unabashed in his prediction for 2020.

“I expect in 2020 for our defense to be the best defense in the league,” Haden said.

This is a bold prediction for sure but one the Steelers can certainly live up to. Last season the Steelers ranked No. 5 overall in yards allowed and points allowed. Pittsburgh also led the league in turnovers created.

The one aspect of the Steelers defense which needs to improve is run defense. Pittsburgh was No. 14 in rush yards allowed last season. Hopefully, the continued improvement of players like linebacker Devin Bush and safety Terrell Edmunds along with the return of linebacker Vince Williams to the starting lineup will help shore up the run defense.

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