The Pittsburgh Steelers trimmed their roster to the league-mandated 53 on Saturday, releasing 22 players.
Mike Tomlin's club waived goodbye to tight ends Rob Blanchflower, Bryce Davis and David Paulson, defensive backs Isaiah Green, Dayonne Nunley, Shaquille Richardson and Ross Ventrone, and running backs Josh Harris and Stephen Houston.
Also released were defensive linemen Ethan Hemer, Josh Mauro, Roy Philon and Nick Williams, linebackers Chris Carter, Howard Jones and Dan Molls, quarterback Brendon Kay, wide receivers Derek Moye and Lanear Sampson, and offensive linemen Graham Pocic, Will Simmons and Guy Whimper.
Whimper, a nine-year veteran out of East Carolina, may have been the biggest surprise. The Honolulu native appeared in 27 games and started eight for the Steelers over the past two seasons and was expected to be in the mix as a swing tackle behind starters Marcus Gilbert and Kelvin Beachum.
Richardson, a fifth-round selection out of Arizona, and Blanchflower, a seventh-rounder out of UMass, were 2014 draft picks.
The Steelers will open their regular season on Sept. 7, when they host the Cleveland Browns.
[SportsNetwork.com]
