Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro?

I don't think we should. He was okay during the preseason but didn't "Wow" anyone that would warrant a spot when we can sign someone else that probably could be just as good. I say let him enjoy his total rehab and be ready next year.

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

Isnt there a chance he will be back this year? I thought with the MCL they were saying he may be back in a couple of months....first round draft pick possibly coming back to our weak OL? I say leave a spot for him.

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

they already said if the surgery goes as expected today he will remain on the roster

HINES

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

Doesn't matter what we think. The Steelers said they are leaving a spot open for him.

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

I think we should. If they are expecting him to be back by week 10 or so, then we do get a talented player that can either start or backup from then on. But more than that, not being placed on IR lets him rejoin the team as if he'd never been hurt. His development can resume in November or December instead of next June. He'll get to practice, possibly see game time depending on Foster and injuries. It will set him up for a much better sophomore campaign than if he was placed on IR. And I think he's an important enough player to get that treatment.

What do we lose? We lose a roster spot for the 10 weeks or whatever, but we waste a surprising amount of roster spots anyway. There are even a couple on the active 45 that we could do without, so there's definitely room on the 53.

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

At this point I'd say yes...unless they find out its going to take longer to heal and so on...then they can IR him. Or if theres more injuries to the OL or something they may be forced to. But for now it's not going to hurt anything as he was making the team anyways...he'll just be one of the usual 2 OL who dont dress on game days.

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

Absolutely, but hopefully that goes without saying. I don't want to rush him back in order to help his development. That would be really counterproductive. But if we're at week 9 and he's 100% ready to play and on IR, then we're not helping him or the team. And if there's an injury at OG... that would be painful to stomach.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but we can IR him at any point if we change our minds, right?

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

if we have to put de castro to open a spot for an essex i would keep decastro injuried in the 53 , if we look outside and there is a good veteran guard to sign for a one year vet min (like we did with flozell ) i would put him on ir

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

It ain't up to us. They pay Mike Tomlin to call them shots.

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

True, but for the sake of discussion, what are the options? As I see them, they are these:
1. Keep him on the roster, he comes back when he's ready, gets 1/2 year experience, downside is we could have another player that can contribute from week 1
2. IR, done for season, no experience this year, no help in the playoffs, upside - fully healed, another player on the roster who can immediately contribute
3. Cut him and sign to PS. Just Kidding this is not an option. He'd never make it to the PS as he would be on the Colts' roster doing what we should have done.

Am I right? If so, my vote is for #1, he is worth the roster spot, especially since he'll likely return halfway thru

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

Which shots are we message boarders allowed to call? All I know for sure is that it's not who our fullback should be.

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

NO WAY! Let him fully heal....even without a devastating injury to rehab, he needed to get bigger stronger and quicker

let him stand on the sidelines and learn the progame and get healthy.

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

No one is suggesting we put him on the field, even a practice field, before he's fully healed. No one. Just because he's hurt doesn't mean he won't be 100% until the season ends.

...before what?

He can learn on the sidelines while in recovery. Once healthy, he can learn on the field.


Right?

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

Absolutely, we could very well need him later

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

Since I can only go on what the Dr's/Steelers are reporting and they are saying that the damage
is not as severe as was initially reported, and with Double D's work ethic I would say YES
leave a spot for him,we will get by. We may need all hands on deck by this time of the season.
People he was going to be a difference maker, he was already starting to get in the groove, By mid season
he would have been playing pro bowl caliber play.

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

Im not really woried about the mcl but that dislocated knee cap sounds long term.

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

Not sure about that, but I can tell you my friends son just dislocated his knee cap at football camp back in the beginning of July and he as already back fully practicing and would be starting their first game this Friday if it weren't for a little off field issue that got him on the ineligible list. I think the MCL and patellar tendon are the long tent poles in the recovery.

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

if they leave a spot for him, i'm not so sure it will be a starting spot if this lasts until game 10, which is pretty early. these guys will be in full swing by then. just because they say he can be cleared by then doesn't mean he'll be back to game ready. it could take another two or three games for that. do we break up what chemistry the line would have in our stretch run? that would be the only problem i have with it. what if it's not game 10 but more like 12 or 13 when he's cleared, and then add a couple of weeks to work back into game speed? then we are talking playoff time. would we make a move then with him if we have had a successful season up til then?

what happens if we have injuries and might have to bring someone in? there are so many factors to this and it's only a day after the surgery, so we wait and see for a couple of weeks how it's responding and if he's on schedule in recovery. we have linemen right now and i expect an extra couple will be kept on the PS incase. i wish him luck. he's still gonna be a good one, this year or next.

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

If Foster is playing so well that we don't want to take him out, that's icing on the cake. Then DeCastro will be the #1 OG backup. He'll get to practice and possibly get playing time. That's still better than having him on IR, as long as he's healthy. He can take over next year.

 

Re: Should We leave a spot on the 53 man roster for DeCastro

the only thing with that is they only have two linemen on the 45 gameday roster usually and legs has to be one of them. the other has to be a tackle. you are right though he could practice with them.