Pittsburgh Steelers rookie college free agent Beanie Bishop Jr. managed to capture the imagination of the fan base. He filled their heads with visions of nickelbacks picking off passes and landing big hits. But at least as I write this, I don’t think we can even definitively say that he will secure a spot on the Steelers’ 53-man roster.
That might sound like an outlandish thing to write given the general trajectory of Bishop’s offseason. But we can’t ignore where things end, and Bishop ended up playing the second half of the final preseason game. Not a lot of players who only take the field in the second half of the final preseason game end up on 53-man rosters.
As head coach Mike Tomlin explained, his position in the pecking order on Saturday had a lot to do with his availability that week. Bishop is overcoming a minor injury of some kind, which kept him out of the previous game. He only participated in practice on a limited basis, so Tomlin felt that Thomas Graham Jr. had earned the starting snaps.
Let’s not forget that Beanie Bishop Jr. is a rookie college free agent. If you look at his preseason games, he didn’t exactly shine, either. The average Steelers fan’s perception of him is built off assumptions and the occasional training camp nugget.
As Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin sardonically put it last week, the starting nickel role may go to the last man standing. Right now, Bishop is only standing on one leg and giving the Steelers ample reason to look elsewhere.
Should the Steelers really have confidence in either Graham or Bishop starting eight games this year? What have either shown that would dissuade them from seeking a more experienced veteran option if one arises?
The Steelers are common traders during training camp and near final roster cuts. Even if Bishop makes the initial 53-man roster, we could see them make another move that displaces him. Of course, many fans will convince themselves that there is a 100 percent chance another team will claim him off waivers.
Some team might claim Bishop, but there are over 1,000 other players to cycle through. Chances are other teams will find different cornerbacks more interesting. Unless they really studied West Virgnia’s tape religiously last year, they might not even know much about Bishop. It’s not like he played much in the preseason or many quality snaps from which to evaluate. And as tough as it is to admit, they probably don’t scour Alex Kozora’s training camp diaries for intel.
Now, I’m not saying Beanie Bishop Jr. won’t make the 53-man roster. I already put my final roster prediction out there and he’s certainly on it. He may even open the season as the Steelers’ starting nickel. What I am saying is you probably don’t need to rush out to get your Bishop jersey. While he may have talent, he still has everything to prove.
