View topic - Explanations for players cut and kept. Interesting article

[Hi5Steeler Profile]

Steelers/NFLReid, McBean among 22 cut from Steelers roster

WR Willie Reid

Sunday, August 31, 2008
By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Peter Diana/Post-GazetteFormer third-round pick Willie Reid only played in six games with the Steelers.If nothing else, coach Mike Tomlin raised the average age of the Steelers when he pared the roster to 53 players, keeping two 13-year NFL veterans who weren't even with the team when training camp began.

And, after placing veteran Charlie Batch on the injured-reserve list, officially ending his season, he ensured the Steelers will enter the regular season with just one quarterback with whom they finished the 2007 season --Ben Roethlisberger.

The decision to put Batch, 33, on injured reserve -- plus the release of wide receiver Willie Reid and defensive end Ryan McBean, two former mid-round draft choices for whom the Steelers had high hopes -- were the biggest developments yesterday as the Steelers cut 22 players to get to the NFL-mandated 53-man limit.

Tomlin kept his five top draft choices from this year's class -- running back Rashard Mendenhall, wide receiver Limas Sweed, outside linebacker Bruce Davis, tackle Tony Hills and quarterback Dennis Dixon -- and linebacker Donovan Woods, an undrafted rookie from Oklahoma State. He also decided to keep Dallas Baker, a seventh-round choice last year, instead of Reid, as the team's fifth receiver

Tomlin decided to part ways with McBean, a fourth-round draft pick in 2007, and keep 13-year veteran Orpheus Roye (35), who is in his second stint with the Steelers. He also waived punter Paul Ernster, 26, and kept Mitch Berger, another 13-year veteran who is the oldest player on the team (36). Berger will replace Daniel Sepulveda, who had season-ending knee surgery earlier this month.

THE CUTS
The Steelers' mandatory cuts to trim the roster to 53 players:
Name No .Pos Exp.
Patrick Bailey 46 LB R
Paul Ernster 5 P 2
Eddie Drummond 18 KR 7
Arnold Harrison 97 LB 3
Mike Humpal 55 LB R
Billy Latsko 42 FB 1
Doug Legursky 64 G R
Matt Lentz 67 G 1
Roy Lewis 30 CB R
Grant Mason 41 S 2
Ryan McBean 95 DE 2
Name No .Pos Exp.
Ryan Mundy 29 S R
Jeremy Parquet 65 OT 3
Scott Paxson 71 DT 1
Jordan Reffett 64 DE R
Willie Reid 15 WR 3
Micah Rucker 87 WR R
Dezmond Sherrod 84 TE R
Lee Vickers 49 TE 2
Justin Vincent 28 RB 1
Travis Williams 31 CB R
In addition, the team waived three players after reaching an injury settlement -- outside linebacker Arnold Harrison, a three-year veteran who sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament Thursday night in the preseason finale against Carolina; rookie linebacker Mike Humpal; and rookie safety Ryan Mundy of Woodland Hills High School and West Virginia. Humpal and Mundy were sixth-round draft choices.

Also released were wide receiver/return specialist Eddie Drummond, linebacker Patrick Bailey, fullback Billy Latsko, guard Doug Legursky, guard Matt Lentz, cornerback Roy Lewis, safety Grant Mason, tackle Jeremy Parquet, defensive tackle Scott Paxson, defensive end Jordan Reffett, wide receiver Micah Rucker, tight end Dezmond Sherrod, tight end Lee Vickers, running back Justin Vincent and cornerback Travis Williams.

The Steelers can sign up to eight players to the practice squad, beginning at noon today. They would like to re-sign Parquet and Lewis, among others.

The Steelers were looking into the possibility of trading one of their veteran backup offensive linemen -- tackle Max Starks, center Sean Mahan and tackle Trai Essex -- but nothing materialized.

Batch, 33, was hoping to avoid being placed on IR when he had surgery to repair a broken right collarbone sustained in the Aug. 8 preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Nonetheless, he will still collect his $1,355,000 salary this season and can work out and do his rehabilitation at the Steelers' facilities -- something he would have been unable to do if the team reached an injury settlement and released him.

Batch declined comment yesterday.

The Steelers were hoping to get a better idea of when Batch might resume throwing and return to the lineup when X-rays of his injured collarbone were taken Friday afternoon, but the X-rays were not convincing enough, and it was likely Batch was four more weeks from playing.

Because the coaches don't think Dixon is ready to be the No. 2 quarterback, even for four weeks, the decision was made to keep Byron Leftwich.

The Steelers could have reached an injury settlement with Batch and released him, but even that would have been problematic. Once he was healthy, Batch could have signed immediately with any of the other 31 teams. But he couldn't have signed with the Steelers for another six weeks because, under NFL rules, they would have been the team that reached an injury settlement with him.

That meant he wouldn't be able to play with the Steelers until at least Week 10 or 11 -- another reason the team placed him on injured reserve.

Dixon, a fifth-round pick from Oregon, was kept as the No. 3 quarterback because the Steelers did not want to risk losing him on waivers. He finished the preseason as the team's leading passer and exited on a high note, completing 4 of 4 passes for 32 yards and scrambling for another 11 on the scoring drive that ended with Jeff Reed's winning field goal as time expired in the 19-16 victory against the Carolina Panthers.

"I'd say I've taken little steps, but, for the most part, I'm gaining confidence day to day," Dixon said.

"I'm fortunate to have a good defense to look at in practice, so, when the game comes, it's easy for me."

Dixon said he was not nervous about whether he would make the 53-man roster, mainly because that's not his demeanor.

"I'm cool, calm, collected," he said. "I just take it for what it is. I'm just happy to have the opportunity.

"Deep down inside, sometimes you want a couple plays back, but that's the way the cookie crumbles. I did the best I could do. It was totally up to them."

Reid, a third-round pick in 2006, led the team with nine catches in the preseason, including five for 55 yards in the third game against the Minnesota Vikings. But he never lived up to the promise the Steelers had for him as a punt returner -- a role he performed with such excellence at Florida State that he and Deion Sanders were the only players in school history to amass more than 1,000 punt-return yards in their career.

Part of the reason: He missed most of his rookie season with a sprained foot that seemed to rob him of his burst.

In the end, he was beaten out by Baker, a seventh-round pick last season whom the coaches think offers more big-play possibilities because of his size (6 feet 3, 210 pounds). After catching one pass for 5 yards in the 2007 preseason, Baker had eight catches in the four preseason games this year -- second to Reid -- and averaged 14.3 yards per catch.

"I think I've improved," said Baker, who spent the 2007 season on the practice squad. "My whole thing was to try and come out [this year] and make some plays and make sure I made it harder for them to make that decision."




Gerry Dulac can be reached at gdulac@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1466.
First published on August 31, 2008 at 12:00 am

[Iron Gut Profile]

Baker or Reid. I guess you could simply flip a coin and see what happens. I think the deciding factor was that Baker was taller and suppossedly had more big play potential. However, I thought Reid played better in the Preseason and think he was starting to come around.

Roy Lewis. Watching him get burned Thursday night is what I beleive caused him to get cut. The coaches loved his output and desire but we saw that he simply didn't have the speed to keep up with a backup receiver. He has a great head on his shoulders but it looks like he may lack some of the physical tools.

Batch. After it was explained that they couldn't get him until the 11th week of the season anyway, the IR move makes sense for the team. Leftwich is the better QB of the two and Dixon won't survive the waiver wire. After the season, I expect Leftwich will look elsewhere for work and they can try to resign Charlie.

[Nel Profile]

The Steelers were looking into the possibility of trading one of their veteran backup offensive linemen -- tackle Max Starks, center Sean Mahan and tackle Trai Essex -- but nothing materialized.

I wonder how safe these players are for 2008. Could one of them still be realistic trade bait?

[gumband Profile]

I've said this before...I believe Reid was in the last year of his contract....so you have a #3 'n' #5 in last year....simple replace the #5 now with cheaper 'n' deal with #3 later.

[WoodsonOfSteel Profile]

gumband, I can't fault your logic.