Snelling’s strong preseason didn’t save him

By Darrell Laurant  |   Wednesday, September 05, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Atlanta Falcons
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!

Jason Snelling has to be wondering: What was the point of it all?

The rookie running back from Virginia, a seventh-round draft pick by Atlanta, made the most of his NFL opportunity by leading the Falcons in rushing for three of the four preseason games, finishing with 172 yards and a per-carry average of 4.4 on 39 carries.

In the process, Snelling broke a couple of runs over 20 yards, demonstrated an ability to play both fullback and running back, and generally did everything he was asked to do.

His thanks for all of that was to be released earlier this week in favor of journeyman Artose Pinner, whom the Falcons scavenged from the Detroit Lions' discard pile at the last minute.

Why? A good question. Snelling certainly demonstrated that he could play, and he's younger and probably a lot cheaper than Pinner.

For Snelling, it must have been like taking a girl out to a series of expensive restaurants, only to be ditched right before the prom in favor of an old boyfriend.

"We're looking for a back who can help us in short-yardage, goal-line situations," Atlanta coach Bobby Petrino said of Pinner. "Someone who is more physical than the two that we have carrying the ball for us right now."

Meaning Warrick Dunn (coming off back surgery) and Jerious Norwood. But what about Snelling? Apparently, he was never a factor.

Obviously, the NFL is a business -- but what kind of message does that send when a player performs far better than expectations and is then discarded anyway?

Snelling was, at least, added to the Falcons' practice squad. He may yet have the last laugh.

Get weekly Atlanta Falcons coverage at RealFootball365.com
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

About Darrell Laurant

...Sorry, Darrell Laurant's bio is currently not available. Please check back soon!
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report