wes saunders

[Devilsdancefloor]

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Steelers-Release-Tight-End-Weslye-Saunders/76fd1156-e9b2-4d70-b6e3-e1e096adf9e7

they could have at last tried him out at corner

[vader29]

Strange move, thought for sure Pope was going to be the odd man out.

[86WARD]

I think this is a dumb move. Of like to know the reasoning behind it...

[BlastFurnace]

The Steelers keep an older TE that can't block or catch

They cut a young TE that can do both

Nice move Tomlin

[st33lersguy]

They release Wes Saunders and keep Casey Haynesworthless, Keenan Lewser and Ryan Dumby? Mike Tomlin has done such a horrible job this year

[vader29]

From Dejan Kovacevic on Twitter:

If I had to GUESS at Wes Saunders' stunning release ...

... I'd probably go back to Baron Batch's TD run last night. Leonard Pope came in cold (he's ALWAYS cold) and threw a quality block to let Batch get through. It was a nice play. And I recall thinking at that very moment that it might be tough for Mike Tomlin and Todd Haley to have that meeting with Pope the next day.

Then, boom! Weslye Saunders gets cut.

After being kept around all thorough training camp, the preseason and five weeks of the regular season.

Wow.

I'm not going to debate which is the better player or which offers more to the Steelers down the road. That's so obvious it would be silly.

But I think the one thing you can take to the bank is that this wasn't preordained. This call must have been made today. No other way to explain Saunders being around this long.

It's fair to wait for an explanation. That's worth stressing. But man, it had better be good.

If it isn't, chalk it up to a growing list of really weird decisions by the Steelers in this calendar year.

[BlastFurnace]

They release Wes Saunders and keep Casey Haynesworthless, Keenan Lewser and Ryan Dumby? Mike Tomlin has done such a horrible job this year

This year? It goes beyond that.

[Devilsdancefloor]

This year? It goes beyond that.

agreed i cant explain a lot of things lately or in the past few years/ only thing i can think of is did he come back hot on another drug test??

[Count Steeler]

More and more head scratchers are starting to pile up.

[st33lersguy]

I am starting to get the impression that Tomlin was carried to success by the team Cowher built

[salamander]

More and more head scratchers are starting to pile up.

Yepp... right up there with the firing of Al Everest.

[steelreserve]

Seems odd, but who knows. Maybe they just felt he wasn't ready to play football. Or maybe they found out something else was going on during the last month and a half, and considered him still "troubled." Or maybe it's just a head-scratcher, who knows.

[86WARD]

I am starting to get the impression that Tomlin was carried to success by the team Cowher built

He's well beyond that stage and did well. He's not living off Cowher...

[katmandu]

agreed i cant explain a lot of things lately or in the past few years/ only thing i can think of is did he come back hot on another drug test??

In a strange move, the Steelers (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/pittsburgh-steelers) have released (http://sulia.com/channel/pittsburgh-steelers/f/42eaaada-4ed7-4b12-afb4-184970125a00/?source=twitter) tight end Weslye Saunders (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/131103/weslye-saunders). Saunders had just finished serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's drug policy (it was for using adderall (http://www.steelersdepot.com/2012/04/steelers-te-weslye-saunders-admits-he-took-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 (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1766/leonard-pope), who is older than Saunders and who has played very little recently. Saunders' release comes out of nowhere, as Chris Adamski indicates (https://twitter.com/BuzzsawPGH/status/256849854234497025):

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.
.......

[86WARD]

Will only be a matter of day before he's a Patriot.

[plenewken]

To me, it's not an impression, it's a certainty.

[Moose]

Again, time will tell the reason for the boot.

[fansince'76]

I am starting to get the impression that Tomlin was carried to success by the team Cowher built

Yep, any idiot can win a SB with a team loaded with talent. Just ask Norv Turner and Wade Phillips.

If it truly were that easy, it wouldn't be a 7-figure job...

[X-Terminator]

I am starting to get the impression that Tomlin was carried to success by the team Cowher built

Ah yes, the "Tomlin is just another Barry Switzer" excuse.

Please.

When someone can tell me what the fuck he was supposed to do when he took over the job, then I'll be glad to listen to this theory. Otherwise, you and the rest of you who believe this garbage really need to can it.

Sorry to be blunt, but I'm really sick and tired of this always coming up. It is a lazy opinion that requires no thought whatsoever.

As for the topic, add this to the growing list of moves starting with the Bruce Arians situation earlier this year...which of course many of the same people questioning this move had absolutely no problem with. All this tells me is that they must really like David Paulson (a late-round rookie pick, for those of you who say Tomlin can't draft) and they thought Saunders was expendable.

[JayC]

stupid, just like everyone else said. i just don't get it.

[X-Terminator]

BTW, Leonard Pope was brought in as one of Todd Haley's guys, since he has followed him everywhere he's gone. You want to know why he wasn't cut and Saunders was? That could be part of the reason as well. So you can throw some of those poison darts his way.

[86WARD]

Tomlin loves Paulson and he's said in interviews that Paulson is the #2 guy. Maybe he doesn't want Saunders and Paulson to be their only TE's if Miller were to get hurt? THere's a lack of experience there.

[katmandu]

did he come back hot on another drug test??He was already very rusty missing all the practice time....

Perhaps he let himself get way out of shape as well. ??

[SteelerFanInStl]

The Steelers keep an older TE that can't block or catch

They cut a young TE that can do both

Nice move Tomlin

Agreed. It's a head scratcher. Even if they really like Paulson, I don't see any reason to keep Pope over Saunders. Pope is terrible.

[KeiselPower99]

Pope knows the system and Paulson seems to have passed Saunders. Im almost sure that either something else came up or just simply the previous statement is true. Either way Im on board with what the team is doing.

[86WARD]

Agreed. It's a head scratcher. Even if they really like Paulson, I don't see any reason to keep Pope over Saunders. Pope is terrible.

Experience if Miller were to get injured. Paulson and Saunders probably wouldn't be able to handle it and there'd be no guarantee Pope would be there if they needed to re-sign him.

[SteelGhost]

Ah yes, the "Tomlin is just another Barry Switzer" excuse.

Please.

When someone can tell me what the fuck he was supposed to do when he took over the job, then I'll be glad to listen to this theory. Otherwise, you and the rest of you who believe this garbage really need to can it.

Sorry to be blunt, but I'm really sick and tired of this always coming up. It is a lazy opinion that requires no thought whatsoever.

As for the topic, add this to the growing list of moves starting with the Bruce Arians situation earlier this year...which of course many of the same people questioning this move had absolutely no problem with. All this tells me is that they must really like David Paulson (a late-round rookie pick, for those of you who say Tomlin can't draft) and they thought Saunders was expendable.

I agree X, maybe they think Paulson has more upside and no off-field issues :noidea:

[tube517]

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2012/10/former-steelers-te-weslye-saunders-signs-with-indianaolpis-colts/

Saunders signs with Colts

[Bluecoat96]

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2012/10/former-steelers-te-weslye-saunders-signs-with-indianaolpis-colts/

Saunders signs with Colts

Wow....didn't see that one coming.....



NOT

[steelerdude15]

Wow....didn't see that one coming.....



NOT


Your avatar says it all. :chuckle:

[GBMelBlount]

Tomlin loves Paulson and he's said in interviews that Paulson is the #2 guy. Maybe he doesn't want Saunders and Paulson to be their only TE's if Miller were to get hurt? THere's a lack of experience there.

Soooo......If Paulson was the #2 guy was he #2's boss?


http://youtu.be/nmJKY59NX8o

[JayC]

pittsburgh midwest

[86WARD]

Soooo......If Paulson was the #2 guy was he #2's boss?


http://youtu.be/nmJKY59NX8o

lol. repped.

[Austin87]

Glad he got a second chance with the Clots.