Preseason wrap up and Roster Cuts

cpawfan · Aug 30, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08243/908192-66.stm

The Steelers rookie class did not distinguish itself over the course of training camp and four preseason games.

That could be reflected when they make their final cuts today.

Linebacker Bruce Davis should make the team based on the fact he was a third-round draft choice and not by what he has done on the field. He will go on scholarship as he takes time to learn the outside linebacker position after playing defensive end at UCLA, where he had 24.5 sacks the past two seasons. The plan to use him at times to rush the passer in the dime defense might be put on hold, at least early on.

Tackle Tony Hills will make the team if they keep 10 offensive linemen. Otherwise, he could be waived and signed to the practice squad, thus continuing a failure of recent fourth-round picks for the Steelers. Among the fourth-round washouts were defensive ends Ryan McBean (2007) and Orien Harris (2006) and wide receiver Fred Gibson (2005). Each was released his rookie season, although McBean did make the roster Dec. 11 after he spent the previous weeks on their practice squad.

The only fourth-round pick to make it since cornerback Ike Taylor in 2003 was tackle Willie Colon, the first of two fourth-round picks in '06.

Fifth-round pick Dennis Dixon, on the other hand, is a keeper and could rise to the No. 2 quarterback spot within a year.

Their two sixth-rounders had trouble getting on the field because of injuries -- linebacker Mike Humpal and safety Ryan Mundy. And, of course, they did not have a seventh-rounder because they traded it away on failed return man Allen Rossum.

That leaves their top two rookie draft choices, running back Rashard Mendenhall and wide receiver Limas Sweed. Each showed why they were drafted so high, and they also showed why the coaches might be hesitant to use them when the season starts Sept. 7.

Mendenhall looks every bit the part of the runner that prompted the Steelers to select him as their first-round choice. Yet his three fumbles in the past two games will prompt coach Mike Tomlin to think twice before putting him in certain situations early in the season.

"Wouldn't it make you a little hesitant?" Tomlin said.

The same can be said for Sweed. He made the catch of the preseason when the 6-4 rookie leaped and snared Byron Leftwich's deep pass from the 32 in the left corner of the end zone over a defender. He held on and got both feet in bounds as he crashed to the ground. But the officials ruled his backside hit out of bounds before his second foot touched, and replay upheld it was no touchdown.

Sweed also dropped a pass when he was wide open. The coaches had hoped Sweed would challenge Nate Washington to become the No. 3 wide receiver on the field. Now it looks as though he could open at No. 5.

Not exactly a good sign

Veteran safety Tyrone Carter did not play on defense Thursday night. Usually, coaches have one of three reasons for not playing a veteran in the final preseason game: He's hurt, they fear getting him hurt, or he's about to be released. The latter seems more the possibility in Carter's case.

Accentuate the positive

The fullback may have a smaller role in Bruce Arians' offense, but Carey Davis is more than a fullback and appears to be the team's best short-yardage candidate.

• Mitch Berger seems to have won the punting derby with his strong performance throughout the preseason and when Paul Ernster faltered on both his punts Thursday night.

• Anthony Madison continues to do the best job of all on the coverage teams.

Eliminate the negatives

What's with splitting the quarterbacks wide and snapping directly to the halfback? If I'm Ben Roethlisberger, I file an immediate protest. He's fair game if he lines up at wide receiver, and the Steelers appear to be fooling no one with those direct snaps. It's not as if it's 1995 and Kordell Stewart were back there and able to run or throw. Willie Parker's no threat to pass.

• The officials weren't on top of their game Thursday night. They called a ticky-tack 37-yard interference penalty on Carolina that helped the Steelers to their only touchdown, and they almost got another Steelers backup quarterback killed. Carolina jumped offside on a play late in the second quarter, and they let the play go even though the Panthers were unimpeded on the quarterback -- a play they're supposed to stop immediately. Byron Leftwich was thrown roughly to the ground on his right shoulder -- that's how Charlie Batch's collarbone was broken. Leftwich popped up uninjured.

• A few plays later, his own coaches almost got Leftwich killed when they had him throw a Hail Mary pass on the final play of the first half and he again was slammed after he cut loose with the ball.

Latch on to the affirmative

Jeff Reed has become one of the clutch kickers in the NFL. He made eight of nine field goals the past two games, including the winners in the closing seconds of each. He also has new holders who have been alternating -- Berger and Ernster.

• No Steelers quarterback was sacked Thursday night, and as a bonus, none threw an interception, although Carolina's first defense did not play, either.

This could be dangerous ...

Before anyone gets too excited about the Steelers' 3-1 preseason record, the Detroit Lions went 4-0, the Miami Dolphins 3-1, the Indianapolis Colts 1-4 and New England Patriots 0-4.
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cpawfan · Aug 30, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_585738.html

Steelers cut four, place Batch on injured reserve

Wide receiver Willie Reid, return specialist Eddie Drummond, punter Paul Ernster and defensive end Ryan McBean were among the players the Steelers cut today while the team placed quarterback Charlie Batch on injured reserve ending his season and possibly career in Pittsburgh.

Two of the Steelers draft choices from this year, linebacker Mike Humpal and safety Ryan Mundy were waived and given injury settlements as was veteran linebacker Arnold Harrison as the team pared its roster to 53 players.

Reid, a third-round pick in 2006, may have been the most significant of the 22 roster moves the Steelers made today to get to the 53-man limit allowed by the NFL. He led the Steelers with nine receptions in four preseason games but averaged just nine yards a catch and didn't figure into the team's plans as a returner.

Batch is still recovering from a broken collarbone, and the Steelers elected to go with Byron Leftwich as Ben Roethlisberger's backup and rookie Dennis Dixon as the No. 3 quarterback.

Other players cut today were linebacker Patrick Bailey, fullback Billy Latsko, guards Doug Legursky and Matt Lentz, defensive back Roy Lewis, safety Grant Mason, offensive tackle Jeremy Parquet, defensive tackle Scott Paxson, defensive end Jordan Reffett, wide receiver Micah Rucker, tight ends Dezmond Sherrod and Lee Vickers, running back Justin Vincent and cornerback Travis Williams.

The Steelers only have two tight ends on their 53-man roster.
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cpawfan · Aug 31, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08244/908393-66.stm

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.

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."
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cpawfan · Aug 31, 2008

<table style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial; margin-right: 5px;" width="220" align="left" border="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">THE CUTS
The Steelers' mandatory cuts to trim the roster to 53 players:</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Name</td> <td>No</td> <td>.Pos</td> <td>Exp.</td> </tr> <tr style="background-color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> <td>Patrick Bailey</td> <td>46</td> <td>LB</td> <td>R</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Paul Ernster</td> <td>5</td> <td>P</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr style="background-color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> <td>Eddie Drummond</td> <td>18</td> <td>KR</td> <td>7</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Arnold Harrison</td> <td>97</td> <td>LB</td> <td>3</td> </tr> <tr style="background-color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> <td>Mike Humpal</td> <td>55</td> <td>LB</td> <td>R</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Billy Latsko</td> <td>42</td> <td>FB</td> <td>1</td> </tr> <tr style="background-color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> <td>Doug Legursky</td> <td>64</td> <td>G</td> <td>R</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Matt Lentz</td> <td>67</td> <td>G</td> <td>1</td> </tr> <tr style="background-color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> <td>Roy Lewis</td> <td>30</td> <td>CB</td> <td>R</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Grant Mason</td> <td>41</td> <td>S</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr style="background-color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> <td>Ryan McBean</td> <td>95</td> <td>DE</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Name</td> <td>No</td> <td>.Pos</td> <td>Exp.</td> </tr> <tr style="background-color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> <td>Ryan Mundy</td> <td>29</td> <td>S</td> <td>R</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Jeremy Parquet</td> <td>65</td> <td>OT</td> <td>3</td> </tr> <tr style="background-color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> <td>Scott Paxson</td> <td>71</td> <td>DT</td> <td>1</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Jordan Reffett</td> <td>64</td> <td>DE</td> <td>R</td> </tr> <tr style="background-color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> <td>Willie Reid</td> <td>15</td> <td>WR</td> <td>3</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Micah Rucker</td> <td>87</td> <td>WR</td> <td>R</td> </tr> <tr style="background-color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> <td>Dezmond Sherrod</td> <td>84</td> <td>TE</td> <td>R</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Lee Vickers</td> <td>49</td> <td>TE</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr style="background-color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> <td>Justin Vincent</td> <td>28</td> <td>RB</td> <td>1</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Travis Williams</td> <td>31</td> <td>CB</td> <td>R</td></tr></tbody></table>

cpawfan · Sep 1, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08245/908577-66.stm

The Steelers signed eight players to their practice squad yesterday, all of them from their training camp roster.

They are linebacker Patrick Bailey, cornerback/safety Roy Lewis, safety Grant Mason, offensive tackle Jeremy Parquet, nose tackle Scott Paxson, wide receiver Micah Rucker, tight end Dezmond Sherrod and running back Justin Vincent.

Wide receiver Marvin Allen also will join the practice squad for a second season as a ninth player as part of the NFL's international player development program.
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JFizzleRaider · Sep 1, 2008

I really hope they let Dixon get some snaps. I have no doubt in my mind he could be a great quarterback in the league as long as he doesn't get broken in half by someone like Ray Lewis.

Vintage · Sep 1, 2008

Any of those cuts surprise you cpaw?

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Preseason wrap up and Roster Cuts

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Preseason wrap up and Roster Cuts

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