Paulson was a casualty of the Steelers' final roster cuts, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

With fullback Will Johnson likely to take some snaps at tight-end this season Paulson, who played in 32 games the past two seasons and started nine, became expendable, as was seventh-round draft pick Rob Blanchflower. Heath Miller will start, with Michael Palmer and Matt Spaeth serving as back-ups.

David Paulson caught three passes for 49 yards in the Steelers' Week 2 loss to the Bengals on Monday night.

Paulson will be remembered for losing a fumble at the Bengals' 16-yard line after a 34-yard catch-and-run in the first quarter. Filling in at tight end until Heath Miller (knee) returns, Paulson brings nothing to the table.

Steelers TEs coach James Daniel acknowledged David Paulson could be the team's Week 1 starting tight end.

"Yep, he could possibly be the starter," said Daniel. Paulson was a seventh-round pick out of Oregon in 2012, catching seven passes in his rookie year. He caught 31 balls as a college senior and ran a 4.93 forty at the Combine. With Heath Miller still rehabbing his triple-knee ligament tear, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders project as potential target monsters in this offense.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette expects David Paulson to handle tight end duties for however long Heath Miller (ACL, MCL surgery) is out.

If so, it's quite the downgrade. Paulson was a seventh-round pick out of Oregon in last year's draft, and he appeared in all 16 games as a rookie, catching just seven passes for 51 yards. Practice squad-types Jamie McCoy and Zack Pianalto are the only other tight ends on the roster. Miller will be up against the clock for Week 1.