When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary, there are gaping holes. Whether it is the sub-par cornerbacks on the roster, or a coaching staff waiting until Week 13 to finally try to mix things up, the Steelers defense is seemingly defined by the secondary.
Although the Steelers defense as a whole isn't horrendous, it is the pass defense which yields a lot of yards, and has a tendency to surrender the big play through the air. All of this, and more, would be a reason why the Steelers brought in former 2nd round draft pick Stanley Jean-Baptiste for a workout.
Stanley Jean-Baptiste, the Saints 2014 second round pick, tried out for Steelers today.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 16, 2015
Jean-Baptiste was the New Orleans Saints' second round draft pick in 2014, but has yet to stick with an NFL team. He spent his rookie season mainly playing special teams, was released at season's end and spent time with the Detroit Lions before being waived on the 15th of December.
What does the workout mean for the Steelers moving forward? Most likely nothing. The thought of the Steelers bringing in another cornerback, without an injury on the roster, heading into Week 15 is unlikely at best. However, this doesn't mean the team might not be interested in Jean-Baptiste after the season.
Looking at the Steelers' current group of cornerbacks, the majority will hit free agency at the end of the season. William Gay, Antwon Blake and Brandon Boykin are all set to become free agents at the end of the 2015 season. That leaves the organization with Ross Cockrell, Senquez Golson and Doran Grant as the only returning defensive backs who have any experience in the Steelers' defensive system.
The Steelers made a similar move with Cockrell earlier this season when he was released by the Buffalo Bills. Proving that another team's throw away player, can turn into a player for another team.
The Steelers are wise to do their diligence with any free agent cornerback, as they could be a likely target for the team once the 2015 season has ended, and for the Steelers the hopes are of that happening in the month of February.