Adam Caplan reported via Twitter on Wednesday that the Pittsburgh Steelers recently brought in free agent defensive backs Terrence Johnson, Dominique Franks and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah for workouts.
The reason for the workouts was likely due to cornerback Curtis Brown and safety Robert Golden being dinged up in the preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers. Brown injured a knee in that game, while Golden suffered some sort of hamstring injury. Both players have practiced fully this week and neither showed up on the Wednesday injury report.
At worst, the Steelers now have three names in their rolodex should they need to sign any of them.
Johnson, a cornerback, was signed originally by the New England Patriots as an undrafred free agent back in 2010 and has since been with the Indianapolis Colts, who released him at the end of August.
Franks, also a cornerback, was originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft and was also released late in August. He was was expected to be a major contributor for the Falcons on special teams as a punt returner this year, but ultimately did not make the team.
Owusu-Ansah, a safety, was originally drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was released by the Cowboys late in August and also spent time on the roster of the Jacksonville Jaguars last season before being released and brought back by the Cowboys this past May.
