The Steelers found themselves busy on Saturday not only trimming their roster down per NFL guidelines, but also making a rather unusual move with a division rival to add some depth to the secondary.
The deal with with a team they have dominated over the recent decades, the Cleveland Browns, and the player they got from Cleveland is troubled cornerback Justin Gilbert, who was the 6th pick in the draft just a few years ago.
What did it cost the Steelers to get Gilbert, a player drafted near the top of the draft three seasons ago? A 2018 sixth-round choice – not bad if the deal works out.
Gilbert is 6-foot, 202 pounds, and while he started only three games for the Browns, some think he can still play, and the Steelers liked enough of what they saw to make a deal for him.
There wasn’t a ton of other surprises when it came to cuts, but there were a few names that Steeler fans wondered about when they saw the list finally come down the pike.
Cornerback Doran Grant, who the team drafted last season in the 4th round, was released, a tough guy to let go but the team likely had him on the bubble and when they got Gilbert the deal was sealed.
The other name that people may have raised an eye at was free agent pickup LB Steven Johnson. He was inked from the Titans in March, but didn’t do enough.
Inside linebackers L.J. Fort and rookie rookie Tyler Matakevich did enough to make the team, forcing the Steelers hand to let go of Johnson.
The rest of the list gone are as follows: WR Demarcus Ayers, WR Cobi Hamilton, WR Marcus Tucker, RB Brandon Brown-Dukes, RB Cameron Stingily, OL Shahbaz Ahmen, OL Antoine Everett, OL Matt Feiler, OL Wade Hansen, CB Montell Garner, CB Al-Hajj Shabazz, CB Donald Washington, DL Lavon Hooks, DL Caushaud Lyons, DL Johnny Maxey, LB Travis Feeney, LB Jermauria Rasco, QB Bryn Renner and S Ray Vinopal; Waived/Injured TE Paul Lang.
Running back Le’Veon Bell was placed on the Reserve/Suspended list, as he will miss the first three games of the season.
The Steelers can sign up to 10 practice squad players after 1 p.m. tomorrow, so you may see some of the released names back if not picked up elsewhere.
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Dave B.
September 3, 2016 at 6:21 pm
Simply put , this kid has all the talent in the world . He has the size and the speed to go along with it . The problem is , hes a head case . He missed meeting after meeting with the Browns and his best excuse is , hes a hard sleeper ? For a sixth round pick , the Steelers gave up very little to get him , so if he flops , the Steelers really lost nothing . Time will tell .
BB
September 3, 2016 at 9:40 pm
I have to disagree with you Dave, but the Steelers are wasting money on a loser. How do you feel that spending almost four million dollars on a loser is worth it? This is guaranteed money that they are spending on a bust.
Jay
September 4, 2016 at 1:38 pm
Four million on a first round pick is not really that much in the scope of NFL lexicon. Unless the VERY RARE circumstance of an Antonio Brown or Tom Brady comes along in the sixth round, the pick was worth it because his UPSIDE is tremendous. I agree that it is a risk in terms of his mentality but maybe he needs a change of scenery. Besides, how long is the deal (didn’t rad the article)?
BB
September 4, 2016 at 3:16 pm
Gilbert has 2 years left of a guaranteed I totally disagree with this because he couldn’t make it with the Browns and his mental aspects are very suspect.
I also think that this is a bust of 4 million – no matter what round he was drafted. This could have been saved by the Steelers to get some need for the immediate season upcoming. You just don’t blindly throw that amount of money on a loser. He will be a total bust here and we are stuck with him for 2 years.
Jay
September 4, 2016 at 9:23 pm
Whatever dude. No one here is saying he’s gonna be Darrell revise but for a sixth round pick and I think they can cut him after his year if he doesn’t pan out, where else were you gonna use THAT LARGE SUM OF 4 MIL, such a large sum of money by NFL standards and contracts!
DrGeorge
September 5, 2016 at 1:44 pm
Happily, most of the better players on the cut list are back on our practice squad. With a little development, some of these guys are going to play on Sunday, for us or someone else.