Spaeth has been released after failing his physical.
The Steelers have released tight end Matt Spaeth and have signed rookie free agent tight end Mandel Dixon.
PITTSBURGH – The Steelers have released tight end Matt Spaeth with the designation of Failed Physical, the team announced today.
“Matt never fully recovered from knee surgery that occurred this past offseason, and he will not be ready to return to football activities at this time,” said General Manager Kevin Colbert. “Matt played an integral role in our Super Bowl XLIII Championship run, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
Spaeth was drafted by the Steelers in the third round (77th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft. In 123 regular-season games, Spaeth totaled 55 receptions for 420 yards with 10 receiving touchdowns. He was a member of the Steelers’ Super Bowl XLIII Championship team.
To take Spaeth’s spot on the 90-man roster, the Steelers signed rookie free agent tight end Mandel Dixon, listed as 6-foot-2, 231 pounds during his final season at Tulsa. Dixon was undrafted in 2016 and then a tryout participant for the Dallas Cowboys’ rookie minicamp.
Following this move and the earlier retirement of Heath Miller, the Steelers will be without two of the three tight ends who were on the roster for the AFC Divisional Round Game in Denver last January. The only returning tight end is Jess James, a second-year pro who was a fifth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
During the offseason, the Steelers signed Ladarius Green as an unrestricted free agent, and they brought back David Johnson after he was released by the San Diego Chargers. Xavier Grimble, who was signed to the Steelers’ practice squad on Sept. 7, 2015 and spend the season there, also qualifies as a player with some experience with the team. Paul Lang, a sixth tight end on the current roster, was signed on June 7.
oh nos. we can't run the ball now.
/ Coach
Spaeth was a decent blocker. With Miler gone, the run blocking from our TE's is a low point.
That is meaningless in today's NFL.
We will be able to run because teams won't be able to bring up safeties, having to respect our wicked passing game. Bring up the safeties and watch AB, Wheat, Coats, Green and Bell tear the field to shreds.
The days of lining up tight and power rushing are over. And if they attempt to go back to it, they are dumber than a box of rocks.
He was never used properly
Jesse James showed Serious improvement throughout the season. It also seems there's room for him to keep getting better at it
Also, nix will be a blocking machine
I was about to say don't sleep on Nix's blocking potential.
I do think Heath's blocking will be missed, to what degree we will see.
I think MS can be replaced within the roster, at this stage of his career he was a borderline player.
Disagree. Miller was one of the best blocking TE's in the NFL. An extra tackle vs the run or pass. We ran lots of 2 TE sets, and Miller's value as a pass blocker helping Villanueva was a plus last year.
While I agree our skill players create room for the backs to run, running the ball is still very important. Our new Tight end L Green is not a good blocker.
Let me ask a question: Could the 1998 Broncos run the ball well? TD went over 2,000 yards is all.
Who was their starting TE? Shannon Sharpe. Was he a good run blocker? Not in the least.
We will be able to rush the ball sans Miller.
Unless our coaches are idiots.
They weren't going to waste a pair of "duece" sweat pants on Matt...........!!!!
Salute the nation