Steeler's release TE, Wes Saunders...

[Steelgal]

Per tweet from several reporters....

Gerry Dulac‏@gerrydulac Steelers release TE Weslye Saunders after he finished serving four-game NFL suspension. Coaches really like rookie David Paulson.


I do NOT understand this. Why keep Pope, who seems worthless and get rid of Saunders. What exactly is this team thinking????

[Steelhere10]

Don't worry this team ain't worth two cents anyway.

[Steelhere10]

Now I'm beggining to not trust this staff. Why even keep him up to now just to release him. I bet NE lock him up.

[SDSteel1]

They only reason I could see them releasing him is if he tested positive again or got in some sort of trouble that we don't know about. Paulson and Pope aren't bad, but I thought Saunders had some real big play/mismatch potential.

[steelz09]

HUH? Why cut him now? Why cut him at all?

I thought he could turn out to be a good player for us.

The decisions keep getting better and better by this staff.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Leonard Pope = Matt Spaeth 2.0

[Eddie Spaghetti]

hate this move.

I hope this doesn't mean that they hope to worm david johnson back onto the roster next year.

I couldn't handle that very well.

[RuthlessBurgher]

I would have been satisfied with Miller, Saunders, and Paulson with Pope cut.

I would have been satisfied with Miller, Saunders, and Pope with Paulson moved to the practice squad.

I'm not satisfied with Miller, Pope, and Paulson with Saunders cut.

If Heath gets hurt, who fills his shoes catching passes on 3rd downs and in the red zone? Not Pope. Not Paulson. Saunders is the only one who remotely had that ability.

There has to be something else that was going on behind closed doors that we are unaware of (remember, Saunders was kicked off the South Carolina team once upon a time), because in terms of pure on-the-field potential, this move makes zero sense right now.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Steelers release Weslye Saunders in strange move
By Charlie Wilmoth on Oct 12, 4:32p

In a strange move, the Steelers have released tight end Weslye Saunders. Saunders had just finished serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's drug policy (it was for using adderall, he said), and he was on a roster exemption. The Steelers needed to clear space for him on the roster, and it was widely expected that they would cut fellow tight end Leonard Pope, who is older than Saunders and who has played very little recently. Saunders' release comes out of nowhere, as Chris Adamski indicates:

Weslye Saunders was asked Mon if he might be the 1 who'd get cut-He & everyone else laughed.The very idea was a joke to him & us 3 reporters

This might not be a season-altering move, but it's a very strange one. Saunders was signed as an undrafted free agent last year, but he appeared to have upside. He would seem to be a much better use of a roster spot than Pope. Saunders has a history of off-field issues -- in addition to the drug violation, he was kicked off the University of South Carolina football team for violating team rules. There may be something going on here that we're not yet aware of.

The Steelers can't place Saunders on the practice squad.

This move would appear to be good news for 2012 seventh-round pick and former Oregon tight end David Paulson, who the Steelers might prefer to Saunders.

[URL]http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2012/10/12/3494988/weslye-saunders-steelers-released[/URL]

[flippy]

strange move here.