Former Heisman Salaam Cut

September 5, 1999 / 10:04 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Running back Rashaan Salaam, the 1994 Heisman Trophy winner, was among 17 players cut Sunday by the Oakland Raiders as the team reduced its roster to the season-opening 53-man limit.

Salaam, who didn't play last season after three injury-plagued seasons in Chicago, had a solid training camp and preseason. But Tyrone Wheatley was even more productive and wound up with a spot on the Raiders' roster.

"He played well," Oakland coach Jon Gruden said of Salaam. "We gave him a long look, but Wheatley has really caught our eye over the last two weeks, both in practice and games. Special teams play also was a major factor."

Wheatley, a former Michigan star selected by the New York Giants in the first round of the 1995 draft, finished the preseason with 117 yards on 23 carries. He averaged 5.1 yards and ran for three touchdowns.

Salaam also was a first-round pick by Chicago in 1995. He won the Heisman after rushing for 2,055 yards and 24 touchdowns as a junior at Colorado.

He enjoyed success in a rookie campaign that saw him gain 1,074 yards but he was slowed by injuries the next two seasons, appearing in just three games during in 1997.

After sitting out last season, Salaam signed with the Raiders as a free agent. He had 145 yards on 39 carries during the preseason, an average of 3.7 yards per carry.