Steelers trade for Allen Rossum

[Menudo]

know this is a minor move, but, hopefully this will solve our punt return issue. No matter who we've put back there, they have failed. Rossum has lots of experience as a punt returner.

 

Falcons fans, does Rossum have anything left in the tank as a returner ? How was he last year ?

 

As for the cuts, Okobi was the only real surprise for me. I was a little surprised that they kept St. Pierre on the roster. I'm thrilled that they dropped Barlow (first cuts) and Haynes to keep Cary Davis & Gary Russell. This is showing that Tomlin will reward players for performing in camp. Those two guys deserved to be on this roster. Here were the cuts:

 

Chukky Okobi, who came to training camp as the starting center, and running back Verron Haynes were among the players cut today by Coach Mike Tomlin as the Steelers reduced their roster to the final 53-player limit, the Post-Gazette has learned.

 

Also included in the cut were three rookie draft choices - defensive end Ryan McBean, a fourth-round pick; guard Cameron Stephenson (fifth) and wide receiver Dallas Baker (seventh).

 

Defensive end Shaun Nua, a seventh-round choice in 2005, and former special teams co-captain Chidi Iwuoma were also cut.

 

Haynes, a fifth-round draft choice in 2002, has been the team's third-down back for most of his career. But three of his previous five seasons have ended early because of knee injuries, including last season when he missed the final nine games.

 

Also cut were fullback John Kuhn, quarterback Bryan Randall, receivers Walter Young and Gerran Walker; tight ends Cody Boyd and Jon Dekker, tackles Jason Capizzi and Brandon Torrey; nose tackle Scott Paxson, linebackers Ron Stanley and Marquis Cooper; cornerbacks Anthony Madison and Jovon Johnson; and safeties Grant Mason and Mike Lorello.

 

By my calculations, here is the final roster:

 

QB-Roethlisberger, Batch, St. Pierre

RB-Parker, Russell, Davenport

FB - Kreider, Davis

WR-Ward, Washington, Reid, Holmes, Wilson

TE-Miller, Tuman, Spaeth

T - Smith, Colon, Essex, Starks

G-Faneca, Simmons, Kemoeatu, Stapleton

C-Mahan

 

NT-Hampton, Hoke

DE-Smith, Keisel, Eason, Kirschke

OLB-Timmons, Woodley, Haggans, J Harrison, Arnold Harrison

ILB-Foote, Farrior, Kreiwaldt, Cooper

CB-Taylor, Townsend, McFadden, Gay, Colclough, Rossum

S-Polamalu, Clark, Smith, Carter

Specialist-Reed, Sepulveda, Warren

Edited September 1, 2007 by Menudo

[kingfish247]

Falcons fans, does Rossum have anything left in the tank as a returner ? How was he last year ?

He was injured in '05 and it seemed like he really lost a step in '06.

However this preseason it looks like he's really worked hard to regain some of his explosiveness. He looked good in his limited time.