Steelers News: Mike Mitchell, Jesse James, Roster Cuts
By Kim Myers
The Steelers are fresh off of their first preseason win and we’re ready to get this show on the road.
While the team prepares for roster cuts and for the start of the regular season we’ll be busy looking for mentions of your Black & Gold so we’ve got you covered. Here’s your Steelers Morning Huddle for Monday, Aug. 29th.
Give me some space
The Steelers are two weeks away from their self-imposed deadline of the regular season kickoff ending contract negotiations for the year. Because of that, Ed Bouchette of the PPG reports, the team is currently rewriting contracts to create salary cap space.
Marcus Gilbert restructured his contract last week as well as safety Mike Mitchell. The team just turns part of the base pay into a signing bonus and it lessens the amount of the salary cap hit. The player isn’t obligated to take a pay cut at all.
The space is necessary if they want to sign guard David DeCastro to an extension or buck trend and negotiate a new contract for receiver Antonio Brown. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of the restructured contracts, either.
Looking good out there
Steelers second-year tight end Jesse James got to work with the first team offense during Friday night’s 27-14 win over the New Orleans Saints. The results? James caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger for the first score of the game.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has Roethlisberger’s comments on how he found James open on the play.
"“A makeshift, scramble, backyard play. Happy to see Jesse, a new guy, make a play.” – Ben Roethlisberger"
Sounds like a new budding relationship is being formed right before our eyes.
Cuts made
The Steelers announced that they made some roster cuts prior to the Tuesday afternoon deadline. They’ll still need to get the roster down to 75 players by 4 pm EST on Tuesday but Sunday afternoon the roster was down to 79 players.
Next: Steelers fans relieved with preseason win
Rookie offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins as placed on the Reserve/Injured List and quarterback Dustin Vaughan was waived. Among the names of those released are linebacker Jordan Zumwalt and punter Will Monday.