Steelers trim roster to 79 ahead of first cut-down day
Maybe Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin wanted to deliver the bad news and get it over with before Tuesday.
Two days before all NFL teams were required to reduce their preseason rosters from 90 to 75 players, the Steelers trimmed theirs to 79.
Nine players were out-right released, one was placed on the injured-reserve list, while yet another was placed on the waived-injured list.
As of now, the 2016 draft class has been spared, although offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins, a fourth-round pick out of LSU, was the player placed on injured-reserve.
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The nine players released included inside linebacker Jordan Zumwalt; outside linebacker Mike Reilly; receivers Isaac Blakeney and Levi Norwood; cornerback Julian Whigham; defensive linemen Khaynin Mosley-Smith and Giorgio Newberry; tight end Michael Cooper; and punter Will Monday.
Perhaps the most noteworthy release of the bunch was Monday, who competed with incumbent Jordan Berry throughout training camp and in the first three preseason games. Monday punted 11 times in exhibition play and averaged 42.2 yards per kick, while Berry averaged an impressive 55.2 yards on six punts (Berry averaged 42.6 yards during the 2015 regular season).
Monday’s release is only news because it could mean that Tomlin may stick with the same punter for more than a season for the first time since 2011. (Although, it is worth noting that Drew Butler made the final cut in 2013, only to be sent packing immediately afterwords when Zoltan Mesko was released by the Patriots).
Third-string quarterback Dustin Vaughan was the player placed on the waived-injured list after suffering a fractured thumb in the second preseason game against Philadelphia on August 18.
The Steelers have until 4 p.m. Tuesday to make the rest of their first round of cuts.
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