Pittsburgh Steelers Trade: Steelers trade C Lucas Crowley to Washington for CB Dashaun Phillips

The Pittsburgh Steelers need help in their secondary, and the trade made today with the Washington Redskins further emphasizes this very obvious fact.

While the Steelers took first team reps away from Ross Cockrell and gave them to Coty Sensabaugh, the front office was busy with a trade to bring in another defensive back throughout the preseason.

Gone is center Lucas Crowley, and in is cornerback Dashaun Phillips.

Phillips is a 5-feet 11-inch, 182-pound cornerback who played his college football at Tarleton State, ran a 4.48 in the 40-yard dash, and is in his third year in the NFL.

He spent his first two seasons with Washington, starting two games in 2016, but putting up very marginal statistics in both his rookie and sophomore seasons.

The Steelers are looking for not only depth at defensive back, but also some experience to help round out the depth chart. With the addition of Phillips, you have to wonder what the future holds for a player like Senquez Golson, who in his third year has yet to practice for more than a week.

Phillips will be joining a unit made up of Artie Burns, Ross Cockrell, William Gay, Coty Sensabaugh, Cameron Sutton, Mike Hilton and Golson as the primary players to make the final roster. There is a good chance if he can prove he can play, he will have a spot on the team’s 53-man roster. Then again, it is unlikely the Steelers make a trade for someone they aren’t going to keep on the team.

It also should be noted how the Steelers signed cornerback Antonio Crawford, and released running back Brandon Brown-Dukes earlier Wednesday.

Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest on this trade and other developments.