Veteran running back Barlow among 10 Steelers cut

Published: Aug 27, 2007 at 11:26 AM

PITTSBURGH -- Kevan Barlow, a former 49ers and Jets running back who signed with his hometown Steelers earlier this year, was among 10 players released Monday during Pittsburgh's first roster cutdown.

The moves trimmed the roster to 75 players. The Steelers must reach the season-opening 53-man limit by Saturday, two days after their preseason finale at Carolina.

Three rookie free agents cut were wide receiver Eric Fowler, defensive end Derrick Jones and long snapper Jared Retkofsky. Also released were running back Larry Croom, punter Mike Barr, kicker Connor Hughes, linebacker Richard Koonce, center Donovan Raiola and wide receiver Dan Sheldon.

Barlow, a Pittsburgh native, was signed on May 10 to compete for the backup role behind Willie Parker. But Barlow quickly fell out of the rotation early in training camp and never made a strong push to make the team, despite carrying four times for 14 yards and a touchdown on Sunday night against Philadelphia.

Barlow, a third-round pick by San Francisco in 2001, has rushed for 3,984 yards on 1,022 carries in six NFL seasons. He gained a career-high 1,024 yards while averaging 5.1 yards per carry in 2003.

Last season, Barlow averaged only 2.8 yards per carry while gaining 370 yards in 12 games during his only season with the Jets.

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