Player: CB Cory Trice Jr.
Stock Value: Down
Reasoning: Although he escaped the Physically Unable to Perform List to open training camp, we have not seen much of Steelers CB Cory Trice Jr. A second-year player, he currently seems to be buried on the depth chart as he returns from a torn ACL. How much ground he can make up over the course of training camp will be a story to watch.
All those who went to training camp excited to watch Cory Trice Jr. are probably wondering where he is. The second-year cornerback has not played many team reps thus far, calling into question why that is. If he is healthy, then shouldn’t he be on the field practicing more?
That is one of the more interesting even if not more important questions for the Steelers in training camp. Trice is only a depth piece and a contributor on special teams, but they like his potential. If they want to learn more about him, one would think they want him taking a healthy amount of reps.
It surely leads some to wonder if the Steelers are being cautious with him. Cory Trice tore his ACL early in training camp last year, not even making it to the first padded practice. Perhaps the Steelers wanted to give him an extended acclimation period before throwing him into the fire.
That is one theory, but so is the simple concept that he is buried on the depth chart. After all, he missed a year, rehabbing his knee on the PUP List. Guys like Darius Rush and Kalon Barnes were taking Trice’s potential reps during OTAs, though he did some level of activity.
So are the Steelers waiting on Trice to see how he responds physically with his knee, or do they want to see more, making him earn his reps? I’m sure Mike Tomlin would say that he is hopping aboard the moving train and all that. You don’t want to miss time if you’re a young player because you will fall behind. Trice missed quite a bit of time and has a lot of catching up to do. But when will he get the chance?
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
