Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jonathan Dwyer went from starter to the street in the matter of a week when he became one of the bigger-name players cut over the weekend.
Dwyer's release, however, wasn't at the urging of the Steelers' coaching staff, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Mark Kaboly tweeted Sunday night.
Kaboly's report indicates that Dwyer's rocky preseason, including two fumbles, wasn't the impetus behind the release. Dwyer signed a one-year, $1.323 million restricted tender in the offseason.
A combination of less expensive options in rookie Le'Veon Bell, LaRod Stephens-Howling, Isaac Redman and newly acquired Felix Jones likely squeezed Dwyer off the roster. Of course, the fourth-year pro's preseason performance didn't exactly force the Steelers to keep him.
Jones' late addition to the Steelers' preseason roster assuredly helped make Dwyer expendable. Jones played well in the final preseason game and, if he remains healthy, still can be a productive NFL running back, especially within a deep rotation.
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