Pittsburgh Steelers: Has Alameda Ta’amu fallen out of favor?
By Matt Shetler
Many Pittsburgh Steelers fans were a bit shocked last season when rookie nose tackle Alameda Ta’amu went on his drunken rampage through downtown and received nothing more than a slap on the wrist from the team.
May 4, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers fourth round draft pick defensive tackle Alameda Ta
Now it looks like Ta’amu may not be a part of the Steelers future and it has very little to do with his off the field escapades.
Just one year ago Ta’amu was drafted by the Steelers and viewed as the eventual replacement for Casey Hampton, but how things have changed just one calendar year later.
With Steve McLendon now taking Hampton’s job as the starter, many though Ta’amu would slide in as McLendon’s backup, but if OTA’s are any indication, that’s not going to be the case.
Ta’amu didn’t even take second team reps during OTA’s, as it was backup defensive end Al Woods who was filling in the job as McLendon’s backup.
Woods has been an unproven backup during his time in the NFL, but opened up some eyes during OTA’s with his versatility.
That begs the question of if Ta’amu even has a chance to making the Steelers 2013 roster?
By not getting second team reps early on, I believe it says a lot about his standing with the organization.
Following his off the field incidents as a rookie, it is likely that Ta’amu is still in hot water with the organization.
If that’s the case, it could be doubtful for him to make it through training camp.