Putting the pieces together
On Aug. 31, by 4 p.m., the NFL required all of its teams to reduce their rosters from the 90 players they were allowed to carry throughout the off-season to the 53 they are allowed in the annual quest for a Lombardi Trophy. But instead of viewing this as the end of the competition, the original 53 would be wise to understand the way Coach Mike Tomlin is viewing it:
“You continually are always working to get your roster better,” said Tomlin, “and that’s one of the points we always make to our team: That just because you make the initial 53, you have to continue to earn it daily. And that’s everyone. That’s the reality of it. People are (on airplanes) flying around the National Football League every Tuesday looking for work and getting hired because of what transpired the previous Sunday in stadiums. There is no anointing, there is no finality to it all. The team development process is ongoing throughout the journey. If anything, this is just the start.”
As the start, it has some significance when it comes time to chart the course of the 2019 Steelers and their season. What follows is an analysis of the team’s initial 53-man roster, along with a comparison with the 2018 version. Roster moves that followed the announcement of this original version are also included:
(All players at all positions listed alphabetically)
QUARTERBACKS
3: Joshua Dobbs, Ben Roethlisberger, Mason Rudolph
(Last Year: 3) Joshua Dobbs, Ben Roethlisberger, Mason Rudolph