The Pittsburgh Steelers bolstered their ailing secondary and in the process eliminated a huge blight on their drafting history, as former second-round pick Limas Sweed mercifully was released.
At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Sweed was expected to be the tall wideout that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger coveted since Plaxico Burress left when they selected him from Texas with the 53rd overall pick in 2008. But injuries and off-field issues consistently held him back almost immediately.
Sweed caught seven passes for 69 yards in two seasons, but his career will be more remembered for easy drops against the San Diego Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals and especially the Baltimore Ravens.
Sweed had an Achilles injury that sidelined him all last season and personal issues that shelved him the year before. Injuries to both shoulders and a hamstring kept him from practicing all but a few days during the Steelers’ recent training camp at Saint Vincent College.
After the Steelers waived Sweed and tight end Eugene Bright, who was on PUP from the outset in training camp, they picked up two defensive backs — cornerback Kevin Dockery , a six-year veteran who played last season for the St. Louis Rams; and safety Macho Harris , a third-year player who was with the Washington Redskins in 2010.
So, instead of being the next Plaxico Burress, Sweed will be thought of with the likes of former first-round busts Huey Richardson and Jamain Stephens and second-round stiffs Alonzo Jackson, Ricardo Colclough and Scott Shields.
The Steelers have had many injuries at cornerback, and four players will not play tonight against the Philadelphia Eagles — starters Ike Taylor (thumb surgery), Bryant McFadden (hamstring, quad), second-year player Crezdon Butler (quad) and rookie Cortez Allen (hamstring).
