Putting together the Steelers’ initial 53-man roster this year is particularly tough, because there are several remaining unanswered questions. In many cases, the Steelers will know a lot more than we do, so we can only guess. Unless or until we know more about a few of these situations, though, we’ll be in the dark.
Below, I’ll examine some of the unanswered questions that could shape the Steelers’ roster.
**How healthy would Will Howard be for the start of the season?**
If Howard isn’t ready, physically or mentally, to start the season, putting him on IR is a legitimate option. That would allow the Steelers to have Skylar Thompson serve as the initial QB3 on the 53-man roster. He could still do that, but Howard would have to be on the roster, too. Then you lose a roster spot at another position, which you may need based on the answers to some of these other questions.
**Why didn’t Beanie Bishop Jr. play in the final preseason game?**
Before the preseason finale, Steelers DC Teryl Austin said Beanie Bishop had to fight for a roster spot. Then he didn’t play. Why didn’t he play, and is that a good thing or a bad thing? The likeliest explanation might be an injury during pre-game warmups. We won’t know, though, because nobody thought to ask Tomlin about it.
**How close is Calvin Austin III to being ready for Week 1?**
Austin has missed quite a bit of time, though he is working his way back now. At this rate, he isn’t likely to land on IR, but he might not be ready for Week 1. If he’s not, somebody else will have to return punts. Would that be Scotty Miller, or perhaps Ke’Shawn Williams? If the latter, do the Steelers keep him on the initial roster?
**How many games will Derrick Harmon miss**?
Although Harmon sprained his knee in the finale, it sounds like the Steelers will be able to carry him on the initial roster. But how much time he might miss could influence how many defensive linemen they carry.
**What’s going on with Calvin Anderson?**
Anderson is supposed to be the Steelers’ swing tackle, yet we don’t even know if he’s practicing, let alone available for the initial 53-man roster. Even he isn’t a great option for that role, so they’re already in a bad spot.
**Are the Steelers willing to trade either punter, or are they set on one?**
The one two battle on the Steelers’ roster is at punter, but there is still an unknown there. It’s not just about which punter they would prefer, but what they’re willing to do. With two NFL-quality punters, they obviously want to try to trade one. But are they willing to trade whichever a team is willing to take? Or do they have one punter they _will_ keep and another they will _try to_ trade?
This isn’t an exhaustive list of questions, but it’s a fair one when considering the Steelers’ 53-man roster. Without knowing the answer to these, we can’t be sure in which direction they’re heading. And it seems there are more unanswered questions than usual, making it harder to predict than most years.