Updated Steelers positional battles heading into final preseason game
By Tommy Jaggi
The Pittsburgh Steelers have just one preseason game remaining. Here are the players currently winning the roster battles at each position.
The Steelers close out the preseason tonight in Carolina against the Panthers. While some players have done enough this offseason to secure their role with the team in 2019, others will be fighting for their football futures tonight.
There are still several positional battles that need resolved, and nobody is counted out just yet. Here is a look at my updated positional battles heading into the final preseason game of 2019:
Quarterback:
Josh Dobbs vs. Mason Rudolph vs. Devlin Hodges
Some may think that Mason Rudolph has already won the number two role for the Steelers. While I would agree that he is in the lead, Dobbs isn’t out just yet.
Last year, Dobbs went from a long shot to kicking Landry Jones off the roster after a solid preseason finale. If Dobbs has a great game, it could be a contest again. Hodges needs a miracle to keep his roster hopes alive.
Winning: Mason Rudolph, Josh Dobbs
Running backs:
The Steelers are set on their top three running backs, and I don’t remember the last time they kept more than three on their roster. James Conner, Jaylen Samuels, and Benny Snell will be their guys on game day. Trey Edmunds will be a roster cut.
Wide receiver:
Ryan Switzer vs. Eli Rogers vs. Johnny Holton
Barring something extraordinary, Tevin Jones and Trey Griffey are out of the race. The Steelers like to keep six receivers, so two of the three names above will make the roster.
Switzer is essentially a lock after assuming starting return duties and working with the ones on offense. Rogers is an easy bet to win the final receiver job, but a dominant last-stitch effort from Holton could stir things up. Do the Steelers need another small slot, or would they rather have a special teams gunner who could be a deep threat?
Winning: Ryan Switzer, Eli Rogers