The Pittsburgh Steelers' preseason is finally over, and now the roster watch begins. Plenty of players who made a positive impression this summer will be left without a spot in Pittsburgh, but certainly some will be more surprising than others.
One position Steelers fans are watching very closely is the makeup of the cornerback room. With the additions of Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay, there’s a serious squeeze at the bottom of the depth chart. Alongside Ramsey and Slay, Joey Porter Jr. and Brandin Echols are locks for the 53-man roster.
The most notable player who isn’t a lock at the position is Beanie Bishop Jr. After playing in all 17 games and starting six as an undrafted free agent out of West Virginia at slot cornerback, Bishop’s roster spot was put into question ahead of the preseason finale. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said Bishop would have to fight to make the final roster, so fans were curious to see what Bishop would do in the final preseason game.
The Pittsburgh Steelers coaches’ decision fuels speculation about Beanie Bishop’s future
Strangely, Bishop didn’t play a single snap on defense or special teams in the preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers. It’s doubly strange because stars like Ramsey and Porter played early in the contest. But when the reserves were called into the game, Bishop was nowhere to be found.
Based on Austin’s comments ahead of the game, this could spell bad news for any Steelers fans hoping Bishop would cling to the roster. There were no injury or disciplinary reasons noted for his absence, leaving little room for a second-year player of his standing to sit out the game with a confident space on the roster.
In the first two preseason games, Bishop saw plenty of action. He racked up seven tackles and two pass deflections, showing solid improvement from his shaky rookie campaign. Last year, Bishop totalled 45 tackles, seven pass deflections, and snagged four interceptions.
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Still, despite his improvements over the past year, Bishop holds little trade value. So, if his absence in the preseason finale is an indicator that he won’t be with the team much longer, it’s apparent that Bishop will be cut.
That doesn’t mean Bishop can’t land on the practice squad, but the chances of him clearing waivers or going unclaimed by another team seem low. After all, most teams in the NFL aren’t as rich in talent at the position as Pittsburgh is this year.