First Round Of Casualties; Steelers Cut Roster to 75

The Steelers have announced several roster moves to get the team under the 75-man limit.

For the most part, no one knew who these guys were anyway. David Gilreath was conspicuous via his absence this summer, as he had impressed in the preseason last year. Stevenson Sylvester never really got a chance to fight for a spot in the lineup as his development was hampered by injuries. The young linebackers battling for special teams time have apparently shown enough to make him expendable.

The surprise is Baron Batch. After being considered a very good prospect, Batch never turned into the receiving back he was hyped to be. A pedestrian performance so far this year, coupled with the signing of LaRod Stephens-Howling and the acquisition of Felix Jones, spelled the end of Baron Batch in Pittsburgh. Both Jones and Stevens-Howling offer the receiving option out of the backfield and both have more accomplished resumes without necessarily having a ton of wear on their tires.

Personally, I think Le'Veon Bell's injury is what prompted the trade for Felix Jones, but he's looked good enough so far that the coaches intend to use him in Batch's place this season. It would be a waste of roster space keeping three backs who essentially serve the same function, so Batch's inexperience cost him his job.