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Coming on the heels of the news of Mike Mitchell’s pending release from the Pittsburgh Steelers, more news is making fans everywhere scratch their heads.
This news would be none other than the team still showing interest in safety J.J. Wilcox.
Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN:
Source says Steelers informed J.J. Wilcox of their interest in him returning, expected to have chance to play more snaps and possibly start. Was out of rotation after trade from TB last year.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 9, 2018
Reported last week from combine team has expressed interest in Wilcox returning. Not penciled in as starter, obv, lot of moving parts, possibly draft pick, but he'll likely have a chance to play unless team changes course.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 9, 2018
The interest in Wilcox is befuddling for many reasons, but mainly due to the fact when he was traded from the Buccaneers before the season began, he played, turned into a special teams player and eventually was a healthy scratch from the lineup.
The Steelers saw enough to not even give him a helmet on game day, yet they want to bring him back, albeit on a cheaper deal, to potentially play more?
Something doesn’t add up.
Another aspect which doesn’t add up is how if Mitchell, the free safety, is released, Wilcox doesn’t fit the mold as a free safety. Wilcox is more of a strong safety type, one who plays more like a linebacker than a cornerback. If they do bring Wilcox back, it could mean a switch from strong safety to free safety for Sean Davis, a move some believe he is better suited for at the NFL level.
Either way, the safety position is a mixed bag of goods right now, and it doesn’t look like it will be cleared up anytime soon either. Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and rumors surrounding the team heading into the new league year in less than a week.
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