Having cut their roster to 53 men, the Pittsburgh Steelers completed their eight man practice squad, which includes:

John Malecki, offensive linemen
Ryan Lee, offensive lineman
David Gilreath, wide receiver
Toney Clemons, wide receiver
Jamie McCoy, tight end
Marshall McFadden, linebacker
Damon Cromartie-Smith, safety
Josh Victorian, cornerback

Conspicious by their absence are defensive lineman Corbin Bryant – who saw active service with the Steelers last year, running back DeJuan Harris, and of course quarterback Jerrod Jackson. Each of these men either looked sharp in preseason. However, the Steelers practice squad picks closely mirror the areas of need on their depth chart.

For the first time in recent memory, the Steelers are only carrying 5 wide receivers on their active roster, explaining the presence of preseason star David Gilreath and 7th round draft pick Toney Clemons.

As the Steelers current and past experiences have aptly demonstraited, you can never have too many offensive lineman familiar with your system, hence the presence of Malecki and Lee.

The Steelers are likewise thin at cornerback, likely explaining Josh Victorian’s presence, and Damon Cromartie-Smith gives the Steelers options at safety.