Sunday, September 02, 2007
By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Chukky Okobi during a 2003 game against the Browns in Cleveland.
Chukky Okobi waited six years to replace Jeff Hartings, a two-time All-Pro, as the starting center. He appeared on his way to claiming the position when he was anointed the starter heading into training camp by coach Mike Tomlin, even though the Steelers signed center Sean Mahan from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency.
Yesterday, though, Okobi's opportunity came to a sudden end when he and veteran running back Verron Haynes were among 22 players cut as the Steelers reduced their roster to the final 53-player limit.
The Steelers attempted to trade Okobi, hoping for a draft choice in exchange. But, when there were no takers, they cut him. They pulled off a trade, however, late in the day, acquiring veteran cornerback/return specialist Allen Rossum, 31, from the Atlanta Falcons for a conditional draft choice in 2008.
To make room for Rossum, a 2005 Pro Bowl selection as a return specialist, the Steelers also cut center Marvin Phillip, a sixth-round draft choice in 2006.
Okobi, who was scheduled to earn $2 million in salary this season, was beaten out by free-agent center Darnell Stapleton, who made the roster despite playing in just two preseason games and will serve as Mahan's backup. Haynes, the team's third-down back, was beaten out by rookie free-agent Gary Russell.
"It's the nature of the business," Haynes said yesterday after receiving calls from Tomlin and director of football operations Kevin Colbert. "The No. 1 thing is, I have no regrets. I gave it my best shot, I came up short."
Steelers guard Alan Faneca (66) celebrates with Verron Haynes after the backup running back bulled his way 15 yards into the end zone on a third quarter touchdown run. The 41-0 victory put Pittsburgh one victory away from a 2005 wild card berth in the playoffs.
The decision to cut Haynes, a fifth-round pick in 2002, means the Steelers have four undrafted free agents among five running backs -- Russell, Pro Bowl halfback Willie Parker, fullback Dan Kreider and Carey Davis, a first-year free agent who also made the team. The only drafted player in the backfield is Najeh Davenport, a fourth-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2002.
Also included in the cuts were three rookie draft choices -- defensive end Ryan McBean, a fourth-round pick; guard Cameron Stephenson (fifth) and wide receiver Dallas Baker (seventh).
Cornerback William Gay, a fifth-round pick, was one of five draft picks to make the team, joining linebackers Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley, tight end Matt Spaeth and punter Daniel Sepulveda.
Defensive end Shaun Nua, a seventh-round choice in 2005, and former special teams co-captain Chidi Iwuoma also were cut.
Also let go were fullback John Kuhn, quarterback Bryan Randall, receivers Walter Young and Gerran Walker; tight ends Cody Boyd and Jon Dekker, tackles Jason Capizzi and Brandon Torrey; nose tackle Scott Paxson, linebackers Ron Stanley and Marquis Cooper; cornerbacks Anthony Madison and Jovon Johnson; and safeties Grant Mason and Mike Lorello.
The Steelers will try to put Baker and Boyd on the eight-man practice squad if they clear waivers.
Heading into the season opener next Sunday in Cleveland, the roster breaks down like this: Three quarterbacks, five running backs, five wide receivers, three tight ends and 10 linemen on offense; six defensive linemen, nine linebackers, five cornerbacks and four safeties on defense; plus a kicker, punter and long-snapper.
Haynes rushed for 738 yards, caught 57 passes and scored five touchdowns in his career with the Steelers. But three of his previous five seasons have ended early because of knee injuries, including last season when he missed the final nine games.
He was beaten out for the fifth and final running back spot by Russell, who was academically ineligible last season at the University of Minnesota after rushing for 1,130 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior, playing in the same backfield with Laurence Maroney. Russell ballooned to 260 pounds after he flunked out of school, but he weighs 224 and has impressed the coaches with his running ability.
Okobi was a fifth-round draft pick in 2001, the same year the Steelers signed Hartings in free agency, and he spent his first six seasons serving as a backup while Hartings was named to the AFC Pro Bowl team in 2004 and 2005. He started only seven games in six seasons -- five in 2002 when Hartings was injured, and two last season.
Allen Rossum
Rossum, a 2005 Pro Bowl selection as a special-teams returner, holds the Falcons' record for career punt-return yards (1,723), career kickoff-return yards (5,489) and career punt returns for touchdowns (two). A third-round pick in 1998 by Philadelphia, Rossum has returned three punts and three kickoffs for touchdowns in his career.
Iwuoma played five seasons with the Steelers, beginning in 2002, and was special teams captain in 2004 and 2005.
First published on September 2, 2007 at 12:00 am
Gerry Dulac can be reached at gdulac@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1466.
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