A Look At The Steelers Offseason Depth Chart

This entry was posted by on Monday, 16 March, 2015 at

Updated May 12th

Based on the week 17 depth chart and the players who are under contract for 2015 as of today (January 13, 2015), this is where I believe things stand.  Think of this as a living document that will be updated as things develop and reflect a date of revision. Please feel free to offer any feedback you might have. As Copa might write, everything will be considered but not every point of view will be taken into account. That said, sometimes out of the box thinkers bring about fresh perspective.

OPEN slots on the depth chart are marked in bold. Those openings are based on the anticipated number of players that would be kept on a 53 man roster, except at TE. They’ll likely keep 3 and there wasn’t room to reflect that and the free agents at that spot.

Free Agents are italicized and underlined. UFA is unrestricted free agent. RFA is restricted free agent. ERFA is exclusive rights free agent.

WR 84 Antonio Brown 10 Martavis Bryant  14 Sammie Coates
LT 68 Kelvin Beachum 76 Mike Adams
LG 73 Ramon Foster 74 Chris Hubbard
C 53 Maurkice Pouncey 72 Cody Wallace
RG 66 David DeCastro
RT 77 Marcus Gilbert 76 Mike Adams
TE 83 Heath Miller  89 Matt Spaeth  87 Rob Blanchflower  81 Jesse James
RB 26 Le’Veon Bell 34 DeAngelo Williams – UFA signee (Panthers) 40 Josh Harris  13  Dri Archer
FB  46 Will Johnson
QB 7 Ben Roethlisberger 5 Bruce Gradkowski 3 Landry Jones  2  Tajh Boyd – UFA signee (street)
WR 11 Markus Wheaton  88 Darius Heyward-Bey  18  CJ Goodwin
LDE 97 Cam Heyward 93 Cam Effin Thomas  65  Joe Kruger
NT 90 Steve McLendon 62 Dan McCullers
RDE 91 Stephon Tuitt  96 Clifton Geathers  78  L.T. Walton
LOLB  55 Arthur Moats  48 Bud Dupree  54 Shawn Lemon  40  Anthony Chickillo
LILB 50 Ryan Shazier 51 Sean Spence  57 Terence Garvin
RILB 94 Lawrence Timmons 98 Vince Williams  56  Jordan Zumwalt
ROLB  95 Jarvis Jones 92 James Harrison  44 Howard Jones  48 Shayon Green
LCB 22 William Gay  41 Antwon Blake  27  Senquez Golson
FS 23 Mike Mitchell  21 Robert Golden  31 Gerod Holliman
SS  29 Shamarko Thomas 20 Will Allen 35 Ross Ventrone  42  Jordan Dangerfield
RCB 28 Cortez Allen 39 BW Webb  24 Doran Grant
P  9 Brad Wing  8 Richie Leone  4  Jordan Berry
PK 6 Shaun Suisham
LS  60 Greg Warren
H  9 Brad Wing  4 Jordan Berry
KR 11 Markus Wheaton 13 Dri Archer 40 Josh Harris
PR 84 Antonio Brown 13 Dri Archer 11 Markus Wheaton

4 Responses to “A Look At The Steelers Offseason Depth Chart”

  1. Avatar photo abennihana

    I thought James Harrison’s chances of being a Steeler in 2015 were on life support after watching the Rats wildcard game. Now that DLB is gone, I think the machine may have been unplugged.
    I think Troy retires. Just a feeling. If he does come back, let’s hope he’s 20 pounds lighter.
    I don’t think Justin Brown comes back. 5th or 6th WRs need to play STs and he apparently can’t.
    I think Matt Spaeth is offered a contract. Not sure about Mike Palmer.
    I think DHB is offered a vet qualifying, one year deal. No risk. If someone better presents himself, they simply cut him and are out $65K.
    I think Jason Worilds leaves. There is always someone willing to overpay a pass rusher.
    I think Arthur Moats is offered a contract.
    I think Will Allen is offered a contract, unfortunately. It’s time for him to go, IMO. He is another in a gaggle of SS types. They need free safeties.
    I think Brice McCain is worth a vet qualifying, one year deal, but no more.
    I hope Greg Warren comes back. He’s good at his job and it’s one thing I don’t want to have to think about.

    Will Johnson, Terence Garvin, Antwon Blake, Robert Golden and Brad Wing are all restricted in some fashion and should be back.
    The only question in the cases of Johnson, Golden and Blake is, do you tender them at $1.3M for 1 year, or try to sign them in advance of free agency like they did Chris Hubbard?
    Hubbard was an ERFA, as are Wing and Garvin. They can be had for minimum salaries and I expect them to be tendered at that level.
    Jordan Zumwalt is still on the roster and I have absolutely no idea where he fits now. Too skinny to play OLB, no room for him at ILB. Maybe he can learn to cover and play some CB. Her certainly wouldn’t be worse than what was out there for much of this past year.

    They are also bringing back Rob Blanchflower (TE), Jordan Dangerfield (S), Kevin Fogg (CB ), CJ Goodwin (WR), Ethan Hemer (DE), Joe Kruger (DE), Alejandro Villanueva (OT) from the Practice Squad and some other guys, on futures contracts, who probably won’t make the roster either.

    • Avatar photo abennihana

      So, if we assume they will bring DHB back to give him a chance at earning another year of STs duty, then we can also assume they will sign another WR not named Justin Brown or Derek Moye to compete as the 5th or 6th WR.
      If we assume that Matt Spaeth gets another contract because of his blocking prowess, we also have to assume they will sign or draft another TE, hopefully with an eye to the future rather than just a placeholder like Michael Palmer.
      It would be a complete surprise if Will JOhnson does not come back as the FB.
      It would be a surprise if Keisel came back at this point, which kind of stinks. He played okay this past year and Cam Thomas did not. But if Keisel leaves, Thomas gets a reprieve and may end up on the camp roster. McCullers’ development makes Thomas staying on the team less likely because they don’t need him at NT anymore.
      Worilds probably won’t be back. They’ll need at least 2 OLBs, even if they do bring Moats back. Because let’s face it, counting on Howard Jones being ready to contribute would be foolish at best.
      It would be a surprise if Terence Garvin does not come back, especially now that Butler is the DC, because he’s a Garvin fan. They’re likely to bring him back and have him compete with Zumwalt to be the floater LB who also plays STs. If Zumwalt doesn’t have a good camp, expect him to be in his last days as a Steeler.
      I would expect Antwon Blake to be back. Don’t know about McCain and I don’t think he’s worth any more than a 1 year qualifying deal. Either way, they need upgrades at CB. I’m thinking draft one, sign one. But who knows.
      I expect Will Allen and Robert Golden back, along with Mike Mitchell. It would not hurt my feelings any though if they drafted a safety high. Unfortunately, the pickings are slim at safety this year.
      They’ll offer Brad Wing a contract and he has to accept it or retire. Hopefully Greg Warren is back as well.

      So, if we assume that everything I have just hypothesized is true, they will need to pick these positions up this offseason:
      3rd TE with the ability to replace Heath in 2016.
      Future starter at safety.
      Starter at LOLB and another OLB for depth and development.
      Starting caliber talent at CB and another for depth.
      5th or 6th WR
      Depth at RB, a guy who can be a respectable rotation player in Bell’s absence.
      Offensive Tackle for depth and development.
      4th DE for certain and preferably also a 3rd DE also to replace CFT.

      We need starter capable talent at TE, LOLB, CB and Safety, along with 7 other players, capable of making a roster for depth. I think it’s more than they can pick up in the draft. I hope they sign some guys.

  2. Avatar photo TomPaulBillyBob

    Good stuff, Ben. One of the biggest frustrations for me, and I’m sure it’s due in large part to me not being in their locker room or any team/coaches meetings, is their propensity (at least on D) to not play younger players. It took how long for them to realize Cam (effin) Thomas blows goats and Stephon Tuitt is light years better? That leads me to Shamarko Thomas–who has been onthe roster for 2 years and played how many downs on D? What, 3? None this year–despite Troy being injured (and playing below the line), they opted for the guy with the veteran experience. And I concede that they know a lot more than I do, but damn it’s frustrating, because they still have no idea wat they have in him–there is no way they do–and I wonder if that was a DLB tendency, or a Tomlinism—I’m leaning toward the prior, based on history….

    • Avatar photo abennihana

      I don’t believe that Stephon Tuitt was ready to play early this season. I don’t blame them for not putting him out there as a starter early. I do blame them for not giving him regular reps early and having devised and stayed with a plan that saw him pushed to work hard and learn the D with subsequent rewards given in playing time, as they did with Martavis Bryant. Not sure what Thomas’ issue is, but I believe he’ll be given every opportunity to start next season, provided Troy retires, which seems like could happen.

      Thanks for the feedback. I’m not sure how I’m going to reflect changes to the depth chart as of yet, be that a new post or a simple update of this one. I also anticipate some feedback about not including any assumptions, logical or otherwise, in the depth chart itself without knowing for certain who would be coming back. That’s all well and good too. I really put it up because people are visual and being able to see it all laid out in front of you is just easier to make sense of.


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