Pittsburgh Steelers: Artie Burns could be surprise trade option
By Erik Lambert
The trade buzz around the Pittsburgh Steelers for months has centered on Le’Veon Bell, and for good reason. It’s clear his time there is over.
James Conner has asserted himself as the new starting running back and some may even go so far as to say he’s an improvement on the original. Opinions aside, the Steelers have remained steadfast that they either will not or simply cannot trade Bell. The reasons range from demanding too high a price, his lofty cap hit should he sign his franchise tag contract and the fact any team that deals for him would be unable to talk an extension until after the season.
So it’s likely his discussions are off the table. That may not be the case for somebody else on the roster. Hopes were high that 1st round pick Artie Burns could help turn things around in the Steelers secondary after persistent issues in pass coverage. There were flashes of brilliance at times but it was clear Burns’ lack of polish was a problem. As time has gone on, he hasn’t improved much and that could be attributed to work ethic concerns.
He’s been getting less and less playing time of late because of it, and things came to a head a week ago according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN when he was late to a team meeting.
Steelers cornerback Artie Burns was late to a team activity last week, according to sources, with one source saying that activity was a walkthrough. Burns did not play a defensive snap Sunday against Cleveland despite productive moments in practice.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 29, 2018
It’s hard to say what went wrong with Burns after promising 2017
Things seemed like they might be coming around last season. Burns had an interception and 12 passes defended while quarterbacks completed just 51.9% of their passes when throwing in his direction. That’s solid work. Unfortunately things have regressed in a big way. Burns has no interceptions thus far, one pass defense and has allowed four touchdowns on just 24 targets. It’s not hard to see why he was benched.
With others playing better at this point, the team may just decide to cut their losses. That said, Burns has value. He’s a former 1st round pick and is still just 23-years old. There’s a chance this setback could be just a maturity issue. Certain teams may be willing to take a calculated risk that with a little patience he can come around and get back towards being a quality player for any defense. It depends on what the Steelers may ask for him.