The Tennessee Titans have signed former Steelers WR Derek Moye to their practice squad today. The Steelers waived Moye last week during a flurry of practice squad moves.
Moye was on the team’s 53 man roster throughout the 2013 season, and saw 53 snaps over the course of 7 games. Moye will never be a #1 or #2 in the NFL, but he can be a solid role player, so it’s not surprising that he’s been picked up. What is surprising is that it wasn’t by the Cardinals.
The Steelers have released everyone’s favorite underdog wide receiver Derek Moye from the practice squad today. The team also placed rookie CB Shaq Richardson on the practice squad IR list. Richardson’s injury hasn’t been officially disclosed.
With the 3 available roster spots, the team has signed DE Ethan Hemer, DB Jordan Sullen and OL Adam Gettis. Hemer was signed by the Steelers as an UDFA in May. The DE was with the team throughout training camp and survived the first round of cuts before ultimately being released at the end of August.
Gettis was drafted by the Redskins in the 5th round of the 2012 draft. The journeyman guard saw limited playing time in 2013 and was released by the Redskins during their first round of roster cuts this summer.
Jordan Sullen is a 6’0″, 200lb cornerback from Tulane. He signed a UDFA contract with the Broncos in May, but didn’t make the squad. He played in every preseason game for the Broncos.
Wide Receiver Derek Moye says that the Steelers told him they plan to add him to the practice squad if he clears waivers.
Moye has been informed #Steelers will place him on 10-man practice squad should he clear waivers
— Chris Bradford (@PghBradford) August 30, 2014
Moye was practice squad eligible before the league expanded squad sizes and amended eligibility rules. According to Moye, getting cut today didn’t come as a surprise. “I wasn’t necessarily surprised about it. I could see it coming a little bit with the other people before me,” said Moye via Chris Bradford of the Beaver County Times.
The team will be able to add players to the practice squad starting tomorrow at 12:00 pm est.
Second year wide receiver Justin Brown is looking at a familiar situation this summer. He’ll be on the roster bubble, fighting for the remaining receiver spot on the depth chart. With a year on the practice squad under his belt, he’s in a better position now than he was last year. According to various reports, he performed well at OTA’s, and coaches took notice.
Brown was running with first team receivers these past few weeks at OTA’s, and the 6’3″ receiver knows the significance of that. “It is definitely good getting some reps with the ones,” Brown said. “When my number is called, I am just trying make sure that I’m ready and I know what I am doing. I’ve noticed (the coaches see what I’m doing), and it’s definitely encouraging.”
Justin Brown was drafted by the Steelers in the 6th round last year. In 2012, Brown totaled 75 receptions for 879 yds, including 5 touchdowns, and amassed over 200 yards in punt returns. While not one to get separation at the top of his route with elusive speed, he demonstrated frequently that he was an instinctual hands catcher, and used his long frame to attack the ball in the air. Even though he transferred from Penn State after the 2011 season, he quickly became Landry Jones’ go to chain moving target.
Brown’s friend and former teammate at Penn State- Derek Moye- is his biggest competition this summer for a roster spot. “We’re all out here competing, we’re all out here trying to get better,” Brown said via ESPN. “Derek’s my boy so there’s no hard feelings at all. We’re always trying to help each other out with our games.”
Moye made the 53 man roster last year, but saw a very limited amount of playing time (53 snaps). He echoed Justin Brown’s sentiments. “It’s going to be a good competition. At the same time we’re out there helping each other out, making sure we all push each other to be better.”
Both Brown and Moye were putting in extra time working out with Ben Roethlisberger back in February, as was Markus Wheaton. While OTA’s are just ‘football in shorts’, it certainly seems like the extra work is paying off in Brown’s case. The wide receiver position battle is going to be a very interesting one to watch in August.
Derek Moye, Markus Wheaton, and Justin Brown were out in California last week, working on chemistry with their quarterback. As I surmised in a previous post, they were indeed in Irvine, California, where Rep 1 Sports, Ben’s representation agency, is located. Moye told the Beaver County Times about the workout session.
“It went well,” said the 6’5″ receiver. “It was a chance to get out there and catch some balls from him on the field, but we didn’t do that all day, we were able to get to know each other a little bit better as well.”
It goes without saying that this kind of extra time is crucial for developing timing and chemistry with these young wide receivers. Ben knows it, which is likely why he invited them out with him.
“It was really about [Ben] getting a feel for some of us a little bit more,” Moye said. “We ran some different routes that he wanted to work with us individually on.” The Rochester native went on to say that he’s trying to get better this off-season, and that he knows that this year is a big year for him. It sounds like he’s starting out on the right foot.
Big Ben is already getting some early work in with his young receiving corps. Both Derek Moye and Markus Wheaton are getting reps with Ben out in Orange County, California. Specifically, I would imagine they’re in Irvine, CA, as that’s where Ben’s representation agency is located. Photographers and videographers are on site, and the workouts are in conjunction with Rep1Sports, so Irvine is a safe assumption, though other agencies have players there, so anywhere in Orange County is a possibility I suppose.
If you follow my Twitter account (@TheSteelersFans) or visit the site often, you’ll likely have seen these tweets from yesterday and today.
Good day on the field today with @twheat002 @_BigBen7 And a bunch of combine players Go @steelers ! @CoachPJ24 pic.twitter.com/szJoBNYT55
— Sam Nestler (@DallasStars24) February 4, 2014
@twheat002 @dmoye6 you looked great out there today hoping to see you guys again while youre in SoCal excited to watch you this season!
— Sam Nestler (@DallasStars24) February 4, 2014
Woke up early and filmed w some of the @Rep1Sports guys in OC this morning incl Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger http://t.co/lV9QP9VeH0
— GABE YEH (@0484GABE) February 5, 2014
Nestler and other coaches were on the scene yesterday to participate in the workouts. Markus Wheaton, Derek Moye, and other draft prospects who are training for the combine were there as well. UCLA WR Shaq Evans is one receiver who I know to be signed with that agency, so perhaps he was there. Coincidentally, Blake Bortles who draws Big Ben comparisons, is represented by them, too. Who else might be there would just be a guess.
The news of Moye and Wheaton getting early reps with with Ben should come as a nice surprise. This extra time should pay dividends in the spring, summer, and hopefully the fall.