Austin Adds Six Players

As expected, the Austin Predators shook up the roster just a few days before the regular season. Fan favorite Michael Strahan and third quarterback Josh McCown were released on Tuesday, ending Strahan's long tenure with the team. This comes just one day after Austin released Corey Dillon. Both Dillon and Strahan played integral roles in last year's championship season for the Predators, and letting go of both players was difficult.

"When you have players of their caliber, you never want to have to cut them in training camp," said Austin GM R.J. White, "but this is a business, and both players' salaries outgrew their production."

McCown is a potential starter in Oakland, but team officials have been notified that he's expected to back up Daunte Culpepper. With Charlie Frye, Austin's other backup QB, being named the starter, McCown was sent packing.

Releasing Strahan, McCown and Dillon saved the Predators over $3 million dollars and put them well under the caps. Strahan took the news hard, but he shouldn't be out of work for long. He's already had contact with officials from two teams, and could sign a contract within the next few days.

Strahan was deemed expendable with the addition of two young defensive lineman, Bobby McCray and Ray Edwards. McCray was inked to a $550,000, one-year contract and Edwards was signed to a league-minimum, one-year deal.

"With [Robert] Mathis and [Luis] Castillo entrenched as starters, we felt it was wise to bring in a couple of kids with potential that could breakthrough this year," said White. "Michael was obviously a fantastic player in his time here, but with retirement on the horizon for him and the prospect of being relegated to the bench, we think this works out best for both Michael and the organization."

In addition to the two linemen, the Predators also signed two backup RBs, Selvin Young and Jesse Chatman. With Chatman an option to steal carries from Predator RB Ronnie Brown, the team took him off the market should Brown lose his job.

"Ronnie isn't losing his job," White said. "He's a former high first-round pick being paid to play football, and you're not going to sit a kid like that. That being said, no player is immune to injury, and with the buzz surrounding Chatman, we decided to lock him up before he grew out of our price range."

Also joining the team is Arnaz Battle, a starting receiver with an easy schedule in a growing offense. Team officials aren't expecting Battle to see a lot of playing time, but he could serve as a valuable piece down the road for the franchise.

Austin also signed undrafted rookie Nick Folk, who won the kicking job in Dallas. This allowed the team to release the overpaid Lawrence Tynes, who's hold on the Giants kicking job is tenuous, and Rian Lindell, who shared a bye with the team's top kicker, Jason Hanson. Austin also released rookie Michael Griffin, whom the team soured on in training camp.

Team officials are reportedly in discussions to complete a trade, so the roster shakeup might not be over. The team has been fielding offers for Brown, but the asking price is reportedly too high for the teams interested in acquiring the running back. Austin appears to be looking for a comparable starting RB at this time.