The Steelers got down to the mandatory 75-man roster on Tuesday by releasing three players and placing veteran tight end Ladarius Green on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform List. Green is ineligible to practice or join the active roster until after Week 6 of the regular season.
Green, who signed with the Steelers this offseason as an unrestricted free agent after Heath Miller retired, hasn't practiced or played in the preseason as he is nursing an ankle injury.
With Green out, the Steelers still have Jesse James, Xavier Grimble, David Johnson and Paul Lang at tight end. Coach Mike Tomlin talked about James and Grimble during his press conference from the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Tuesday.
"These young guys are continually on the rise, in terms of the quality of their play," said Tomlin. "I'm talking about Jesse James and Xavier Grimble. We'll expect that maturation process to continue as we get into the regular season. Often, that's the case. None of us are finished products just because we're approaching opening day. I'll expect those guys to continually get better on a day-to-day basis. And even over the course of the journey.
"I'm excited about where they're headed, and I'm excited about some of the things they've been able to accomplish from a developmental standpoint, to this point. But it's reasonable to expect those guys to continue to get better, even as we get into the journey."
In addition, the Steelers released safety Jacob Hagen, defensive tackle Devaunte Sigler and cornerback Kevin White.
The Steelers will have more moves to make later this week, as all teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players by Saturday, Sept. 3 at 4 p.m.* *
