Steelers release Derek Moye, place Shaquille Richardson on injured reserve

.@steelers sign DE Ethan Hemer, DB Jordan Sullen & OL Adam Gettis to PS; release WR Derek Moye & place CB Shaq Richardson on PS/IR List.

— Burt Lauten (@SteelersPRBurt) October 15, 2014

The Steelers' actions are backing up the general comments made by head coach Mike Tomlin Tuesday.

Sort of.

In a flurry of relatively mild activity, the Steelers have released wide receiver Derek Moye from their practice squad and placed rookie cornerback Shaquille Richardson on injured reserve.

They signed three more players, all to their practice squad. Ethan Hemer, who was released during training camp, and fellow offensive lineman Adam Gettis were signed along with defensive back Jordan Sullen.

Moye had a touchdown for the Steelers last season in limited action, and lost out on a roster spot to Justin Brown, another second-year player, in training camp. Brown has steadily been the Steelers' slot-receiver this season despite the team having signed veteran Lance Moore in the off-season. Brown is improving after a shaky start to the season and appears to be utilized more for his blocking ability in the Steelers' 3-WR sets.

These moves don't reflect other more-significant decisions facing the team, such as the future of cornerback Cortez Allen in the team's base defense and any shifting of personnel along its defensive line. Clearly, Moye and Richardson are not to blame for the team's recent woes on offense or defense, but perhaps it's an indication of what's coming.

Gettis was a fifth-round pick by the Washington Redskins in 2013 after having drawn interest from the Steelers before the draft. The Iowa product could be seen as a replacement for Wesley Johnson, a 2014 draft pick who was released and signed by the New York Jets earlier this week.